Brydie Piaf is a storyteller and photographic artist based in awabakal country. With a love of natural light and the intimate study of everyday moments that make up our day, her work is often centred around the gentle details of both people and place, relationships, and our social roles, all central to her creativity.
While these themes are reoccurring within her personal work, they also flow through to community, where Brydie, over the past 14 years, has remained passionate about working with local people and building community-based story telling projects. Whether using documentary and portraiture style imagery or the written word; these stories — our stories — are told.
Tiny snippets, gentle captured moments, and long reoccurring powerful themes; small stories, tall stories and all the stories in between; everyone has an evolving one.
Recently, Brydie has also been developing a strong focus on how therapeutic creative practices may be used for health and wellbeing purposes. As an Arts for Health facilitator, it is an exciting area to be in.
BIO
An award-winning artist, previous and ongoing work, has been featured in a combination of local and international venues; print, online, while also held in both public and private collections. As a freelance photographer and writer, many subjects are covered. Featuring community strengthening projects, arts for health, sustainability, birth, food, commercial, and the ever-alluring sea. Member of AUSWIP and founding member of WH!P Collective. Editorial work can be found via The Guardian, Earth Garden Magazine, Great Ocean Quarterly, Milkwood.net, Organic Gardener, Pip Magazine, ABC Gardening Australia, Pathways to Family Wellness, and online.
As an artist practicing on Awabakal/Worimi country, I acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of this land and waters; paying my respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past, present, and emerging.
AWARDS
2022 - Maggie Diaz Prize Finalist (2 images)
2022 - NPPP AUS Finalist
2021 - Australian Photography Awards (finalist and semi-finalist)
2021 - Semi - Finalist (Portrait Category) Head On
2021 - NPPP AUS Finalist
2020 - Australian Photography Awards (shortlisted)
2020 - Top 10 The Mono Awards AUS
2020 - Highly Commended Capture Magazine: Emerging Photographer - Portrait AUS
2019 - Highly Commended Mono Awards AUS
2019 - Finalist Capture Magazine: Emerging Photographer Documentary/Photojournalism AUS
2019 - Semi-Finalist Moran Photographic Prize AUS (2 images)
2018 - Winner President Prize/Head On, Parliament (NSW) AUS
2018 - Finalist Capture Magazine: Emerging Photographer Documentary/Photojournalism AUS
2018 - Head On Finalist (Landscape) AUS
2017 - Sheridan Evans Art Award
2014 - Olympus/Kidspot ‘My Family Lens’ Winner
SOLO AND SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Counteractions, Creator Incubator, Newcastle, AUS
2024 Stories of Light, WH!P Collective, Newcastle, AUS
2023 We Are, WH!P Collective, Newcastle, AUS
2022 National Photographic Portrait Prize, NPG, Canberra, AUS
2021/2022 Flow, WH!P Collective, Lighthouse Arts, Newcastle, AUS
2021/2022 WH!P Collective - Art in Community, Museum of Art and Culture, AUS
2021 Living Memory, NPG, Canberra, AUS
2021 Loud and Luminance - Equality, QCA QLD AUS
2021 Arrival, WH!P Collective, Newcastle Art Space AUS
2021 WH!P Collective - Home, Newcastle Art Gallery AUS
2019 Solo exhibition - The Sunrise Swimmers, Sherwood Newcastle, AUS
2019 Solo exhibition - The Sunrise Swimmers, Suspension Newcastle, AUS
2018 Solo exhibition - The Sunrise Swimmers as part of Arts For Health John Hunter Hospital (NSW) AUS
2018 Head On - Festival Exhibition, NSW AUS
2018 Feb-April Solo exhibition - The Sunrise Swimmers, Newcastle, AUS (supported by Olympus Imaging Australia)
2018 - Print Swap Exhibition, Photoville, NYC USA
COLLECTIONS
2020 Loud And Luminous Exhibition and Book AUS
2018 President Prize Parliament NSW Collection, NSW AUS