In 1974, photographer Carol Jerrems shared a simple yet profound thought in the preface to her landmark publication A Book About Australian Women: “There is so much beauty around us if only we could take the time to open our eyes and perceive it. And then share it.” This reflection encapsulates Jerrems’ approach to photography—one defined by a deep empathy and a desire to capture the quiet, often overlooked beauty in everyday life.
The National Portrait Gallery’s latest exhibition, if only we could take the time: contemporary Australian photography, takes its name from Jerrems’ observation and explores how this impulse to observe, document, and share continues to shape the practice of Australian photographers today. The exhibition, staged alongside the major retrospective Carol Jerrems: Portraits, brings together the work of three contemporary Australian artists—Ying Ang, Katrin Koenning, and Anu Kumar—whose photography resonates with Jerrems’ legacy.
Like Jerrems, these artists use their cameras to tell deeply personal stories, capturing intimate moments and relationships with a sensitivity that invites viewers to slow down and appreciate the complexity of everyday life. Through their work, they bring tenderness, care, and connection into focus, expanding the concept of portraiture to include the quiet, emotional landscapes of family, friendship, and personal experience.
Ying Ang’s The Quickening (2022) captures the delicate emotional terrain of early motherhood. Her photographs explore the dislocation and vulnerability of this period, distilling moments of transformation and connection with an intimacy that is both raw and poetic. Ang’s work, like Jerrems’, acknowledges the complexity of relationships—both internal and external—and uses photography as a tool to process and share these emotions with the world.
Anu Kumar’s Untitled (2024) continues this exploration of intimate moments, focusing on the quiet gestures and bonds that shape family life. Her images convey a sense of stillness and reflection, evoking the emotional undercurrents that run through family interactions. Like Jerrems, Kumar’s work invites the viewer to notice the subtle beauty in everyday encounters, offering a powerful meditation on the personal and collective nature of identity and connection.
Katrin Koenning’s photographs bring to the fore the tender, sometimes fragile moments of human existence. Her practice, much like Jerrems’, is concerned with the spaces between people—whether it’s the quiet tension in a shared glance or the fleeting sense of communion found in a passing moment. Koenning’s images offer a poetic vision of the human experience, captured in the quiet, often unnoticed details of daily life.
The exhibition highlights the ongoing relevance of Jerrems’ work in contemporary Australian photography. While each artist brings their unique voice and perspective, all share Jerrems’ keen observation and empathetic approach to the world around them. They remind us of the power of photography not only to document life but to deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other.
If only we could take the time: contemporary Australian photography is an invitation to pause, reflect, and notice the beauty that surrounds us. It is a celebration of the quiet moments that shape our lives and the photographers who continue to capture them with sensitivity and grace. The exhibition is on view at the National Portrait Gallery, running alongside the major Carol Jerrems retrospective, offering a timely and thoughtful dialogue between past and present.
For more information, including access details, visit the National Portrait Gallery’s website.
