Existence

These last few weeks have truly been a blur. Days fade into the next. There have even been times where I’ve been unsure of the current month.

COVID-19 has brought the world – as well as our lives – to a standstill. What was once the norm now seems like a distant memory.

When all of this began, we had been scheduled to fly to Australia. I was keen to get involved with the bushfire relief efforts and to document the resilience of communities alongside the recovery of nature. Unfortunately, we’ve had to postpone our plans and now we are unsure as to when we will be able to travel again.

I have experienced many complex emotions over the past few months. For many Australians, the compounded effects of ongoing loss and trauma lingers with foreboding in the background. While we may stand tall on the outside, it’s an existence that masks what is brewing deep within. My saving grace has been to forge an even stronger cultural identity.

Many of you have sent little messages to say that you miss seeing my pictures. I want to share something written by my friend, Lakshal, because it’s exactly how I feel too.

“There’s a lot of things I’m thinking about during this coronavirus crisis but photography and social media just aren’t on that list – it doesn’t feel right for me to share photos or to talk about the things which I love when there’s so much sadness happening all around me. I know that we all need an oasis of escape with beautiful pictures and love and everything else I aspire to share with my images, but it doesn’t seem honest for me to present these while knowing how I feel every day.” – Lakshal Perera

Take care of yourselves everybody and stay safe 💛 We will emerge on the other side and things will get better with time.

Tagged In Video