Wei Yan Minn and Setara Shafaie are among the artists who will be showing their work this coming Sunday in Sydney as part of the Spirit of Welcome Community Festival, a cross-cultural, family-friendly event organised by SSI Australia in collaboration with the Inner West Council, designed to showcase the cultural and artistic contributions refugees make to their new home.
The grassroots event is co-led by people from refugee backgrounds and aims to provide a platform for refugee artists and the community to actively participate in a safe and supportive environment and showcase their talents.
The festival encourages the active participation and engagement of Inner West locals and newly arrived communities through a variety of workshops, performances and activities.
We spoke with Wei Yan Minn and Setara Shafaie ahead of the event.
Wei Yan Minn
Wei Yan Minn is a self-taught photographer from Burma, where a brutal military crackdown and ongoing civil war have driven more than two million people from their homes. His photographs capture the landscapes and faces of his homeland with what he describes as a deep sense of nostalgia, and his newer work turns the lens on his experience as part of the Burmese diaspora in Australia.
Hi Wei. Can you tell us about the role nostalgia plays in your life and work as a photographer? How does this feeling shape your work?
Nostalgia is essential to my life and my photography. As a refugee, I hold memories of my homeland, my family and the life I left behind. Photography helps me reconnect with those feelings and capture moments that might fade over time.
When I photograph people, places or everyday situations, I often search for emotions that remind me of home, belonging and human connection. My work reflects my desire to cherish memories while also creating new ones. Through my images, I hope viewers can reflect on their own memories and appreciate the stories that connect us all.
Migrants often talk about feeling like they don’t belong in one place, being a blend of their original culture and that of their new country. Is this true for you? What are the advantages and disadvantages of feeling this way?
Yes, this rings true for me. I carry my culture, language and traditions from Myanmar, but Australia has also shaped who I am. Over time, I have learned to navigate both worlds.
The challenge is sometimes feeling like you do not fully belong to either place. You miss your homeland but also change and grow in your new country. Yet, this experience has given me a broader perspective. I can appreciate different cultures and connect with people from various backgrounds. As a photographer, this perspective helps me tell stories with empathy and understanding.
In your artist’s statement, you say of your work: ‘Each photograph serves as a reminder of our shared responsibility to uphold justice, equality, and compassion for all.’ Can you talk about what this means to you and how you encourage this reaction in your viewers?
Having experienced displacement and uncertainty, I know how vital compassion and understanding are. For me, photography is not just about creating beautiful images; it’s about sharing human stories.
I strive to photograph people with dignity and honesty. Rather than instructing viewers on what to think, I hope my images prompt them to pause, reflect, and recognise the humanity in others. If a photograph can spark even a small moment of empathy or understanding, I believe it has achieved something significant.
What does it mean to you to take part in the Spirit of Welcome Community Festival?
It is a great honour to be part of the Spirit of Welcome Community Festival. As a refugee, I understand how crucial it is to feel welcomed and accepted in a new community.
This festival celebrates diversity, inclusion, and the contributions that people from different backgrounds bring to society. Being involved lets me share my story through photography and connect with others who have had similar journeys. It reminds me that our differences can be a source of strength instead of division.
What are your hopes or plans for your art in the future?
I want to keep developing my photography and exploring the moments, people and stories that inspire me. I love photography. I enjoy taking photos, sharing them, and keeping them as memories. It allows me to capture fleeting moments that might otherwise be forgotten.
I hope to continue growing as a photographer, learning new techniques and creating images that resonate with people. Most importantly, I want to keep enjoying the process of making photographs and sharing the beauty and stories I see through my lens.
Setara Shafaie
Afghan-born Setara Shafaie, a young artist working across painting, pyrography, drawing, clay, watercolour and miniature art. In Australia, she has found the freedom to create and express herself in ways that weren’t available to her back home under Taliban rule.
Hi Setara. Your artworks explore the climate crisis. Is it possible to engage ‘hopefully’ with this issue, or is the gravity of climate change such that you approach it with a level of despair?
As you mentioned my artwork (Echoes of Tomorrow) deals with the climate crisis, but I don’t approach it with pure despair. Yes, the situation is serious, it can feel overwhelming, but I try to hold onto hope, because without hope there’s no motivation or imagine a better future. My work sits in that space between worry and possibility, acknowledging the reality but still believing that change is possible.
What do you hope viewers take from your art? What would you ideally like them to think about/feel when they are engaging with it?
I hope my artwork helps people slow down and really look at what is around them, whether it’s the beauty of nature and animals or the stories that are often overlooked or ignored. I want to bring attention to the experiences of people who may not have a voice or whose struggles are not always seen. If my art helps someone see the world from another person’s perspective, then I feel it has achieved its purpose.
Have you noticed a difference in the way people view and interact with art in Australia since coming here in 2023? What have you observed?
Since 2023 when I came to Australia and had many exhibitions, I’ve felt that people are quite open to art and hearing different stories. What I have noticed is that many people want to understand the story behind an artwork, not just look at it, and that has been inspiring for me because it shows how art can connect people and help them understand different experiences.
What does it mean to you to be part of the Spirit of Welcome Community Festival?
For me, being part of the Spirit of Welcome Community Festival is an honour. It gives me the opportunity to share my art and connect with people from different cultural backgrounds, and I am grateful to be part of this.
What are your plans for your art in the future?
In the near future I want to keep improving my art and try new ideas. I also hope to take part in more exhibitions and share my work with more people. I want to become a well-known artist so I can share my stories and artwork with people around the world.
The Spirit of Welcome Community Festival takes place on Sunday 14 June, 12pm–4pm, at the Community Refugee Welcome Centre, Lilyfield, NSW. Free registration and more information here.
