WHIP Collective shooters capture unsung local women in portraits

The fact they will shine on International Women's Day is all the better.

More than 20 posters of photographic portraits of strong, independent Newcastle women shot by members of the WHIP Collective were installed this week on the hoardings around the old post office on Hunter Street in Newcastle East. And eight banners of portraits from the WHIP Collective set were set to fly on Laman Street near the Newcastle Art Gallery by Wednesday.

WHIP Collective member Charlotte Hilder developed the concept for the installation, known as We Are.

"I was Inspired by the Know My Name project at the National Art Gallery of Australia," Hilder said.

Know My Name is a gender equity initiative of the National Gallery. It celebrates the work of all women artists with an aim to enhance understanding of their contribution to Australia's cultural life.

"There are all these amazing women in Newcastle, and artists that are not really very visible," Hilder said. "So I thought, why we don't we photograph local women who are doing really interesting things in our communities, and then not only we do we get to promote ourselves as photographers, but then support these women who have all this ability about themselves."

The subjects (and the photographers in parentheses) in the portraits include The Ilume Girls (Renae Saxby), Laura Johnson (Simone De Peak), Kiasmin (Lee Illfield), Sophia Emmett (Kate Kennedy), Naomi Dart (Kate Binnie), Wolfe (Jessica Wright), Sarah Kokkin (Karen Brown), Lisa Messier (Hilda Bezuidenhout), Marie Williams (Hannah Robinson), Grace Turner (Hannah Robinson) Milika and Eleni (Em Warren), Sandy Sanderson (Edwina Richards), Anne Kempton (Edwina Richards), Jane Lander (Dominique Ryan), Wendy James (Catharine Neilson), Rowena Angela and Juliana Foong (Brydie Piaf), Bronte Naylor (Wednesday Sutherland), Kate Binnie (self portrait), Ellie Hannon (Peta Lumley), Petra Hilsen (Melanie Muddle), Elizabeth McDonald (Louise Faulkner), Nicole Monks (Lotte Lily Hilder), Maria Jose Sanchez (Lotte Lily Hilder) and Pat Davidson (Katherine Williams),

The We Are project will be celebrated on March 24 at The Lock Up creative space with projections of the portraits, live music and an interactive activity with Art Thinking.

WH!P was founded in 2020 to embrace and create opportunities for Professional Women* Photographers from the Hunter Region by leveraging the combined skills, experience and credentials of its members. Through fostering a culture of support, celebration, exchange, education, advocacy, action, enjoyment, play and growth, WH!P aspires to actively raise the profile of contemporary photographic excellence.