Interview: Minami Ivory
Luca Curci talks to Minami Ivory during CONSCIOUSNESS, second appointment of ANIMA MUNDI 2024 at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice

Minami Ivory is a photographic artist and an Art educator who resides in Tasmania, Australia. She was born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan and moved to Australia at the age of 15. Her works are drawn from personal experiences and issues surrounding notions of identity. Ivory has exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Luca Curci – How did you get into photography? Do you remember why you took your first professional photo?
Minami Ivory – I majored in painting when I went to an art school so photography is quite new to me. I got into photography by meeting a photography friend. She took photos of me with a large format camera and I just fell in love with the beauty of photography. I joined a photobook collective and after that I started taking self-portrait images with artistic intention. When I started working on my first series, I remember feeling quite nervous but I found it really calming taking self-portraits.

LC – According to you, what makes a good photo? Which details do you focus on?
MI – The Elements and Principles of Art and Design always play important roles in any image. If things are not working right, I always try to resolve the image by going through the Elements and Principles of Art and Design. What do I have too much of? What am I missing? Most importantly though – is my image communicating what I intend to? That’s very tricky to do.

LC – Did your style change over the years? In which way?
MI – I’m still in the experimental stage so my work may seem to be changing all the time! At the moment I am into collage and painting over photographs, which I enjoy a lot as I get to work with tools that I love.

LC – What issues do you intend to deal with in the future?
MI – I have a few ideas; issues about cultural identities, my dad, grieving, etc.

LC – How is your creative process?
MI – I think of the process and images throughout the week. It’s a good task to do when I’m laying in bed or when I’m bored. It can get very exciting. After putting our children to bed I start working on photos on Saturday night. I can get carried away and it can turn into a late night but it’s worth it.

LC – What do you think about the concept of this exhibition? How did it inspire you?
MI – My work is predominantly about the pain and the struggles from my personal experiences. Expressing emotions through images can be difficult but it provides opportunities to reflect and reconnect with my soul. I hope that the concept allowed the artists to dig deeper into their minds and helped them to reconnect with themselves.

LC – Your last artistic production attracted us, has the artwork presented been created for the exhibition or as a part of preexisting works?
MI – My image in the exhibition is from the series “how do I bury you if I don’t have your body: counted, graded, numbered”. This series expressed the difficult emotions through infertility treatments that I had some years ago.

LC – Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
MI – Yes, I think so. It’s sad I couldn’t go there but it was great to know that my work was part of this show.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
MI – Yes, the staff members were very friendly.