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Atong Atem readies for her first major survey exhibition at NGV

Atong Atem's vibrant photographic practice will come into sharp focus in Melbourne this October.

6 May 2026 12:54

ArtsHub

Atong Atem, Ego 2 (2019) from the Ego series (2019). A striking self-portrait of the Melbourne-based South Sudanese artist, in which her skin is painted blue, rows of small gold stars decorate her cheeks, and her lips are painted bright red.Her colourful headdress frame the image and also forms its backdrop.

Visual Arts

Atong Atem, Ego 2 (Ego series), 2019. Courtesy: the artist. Photo: © Atong Atem.

Atong Atem, the Melbourne-based, South Sudanese artist celebrated for her dynamic and vibrant photographic portraits, will have her first ever major solo exhibition this October in Melbourne.

Presented at the The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Passage: The Art of Atong Atem will survey the past decade of Atem’s practice, exploring her ongoing interests in identity, mythmaking and intergenerational storytelling.

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