The Bees and the Ledger:
Kai Wasikowski

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photo access

Kai Wasikowski, from the series 'The Bees and the Ledger,' 2024

Exhibition

The Bees and the Ledger investigates themes of industry, migration and work through the portrayal of Wasikowski’s maternal grandmother Natalia Broadhurst. Despite having a career in shipping and cargo logistics in Poland, Broadhurst was unable to secure work in her industry of trade upon arriving in ‘Australia’ on a cargo ship in the early 1970’s. Despite this, she built herself a home, and devoted the majority of her labor to study, growing food, keeping bees and caring for family.

Drawing upon the cargo ship ledger as a visual metaphor, Wasikowski presents a photographic taxonomy of Broadhurst’s tools and belongings alongside scenes that trace her family history and working life back to Poland. Together, the images span generations and various forms of labour, connecting industry, migration, occupation, and daily life.

Situated alongside this work is a photographic studio—a working space inside the gallery where Wasikowski will extend this project over the duration of the exhibition. The studio will enable new photographic work to evolve as Wasikowski engages friends and family from the Polish community in Kamberri.

View Exhibition Opening Recording Here View Exhibition Catalogue Here

Exhibition artist

Kai Wasikowski

Kai Wasikowski currently lives and works on Gadigal Land / Sydney, Australia. His practice encompasses photography, video and sculpture. Wasikowski’s projects use photography to question western visual/political systems of knowledge, and aim to spark feelings of curiosity and connectedness towards the powerful lives of images. Wasikowski received his BVA from the University of Sydney in 2016, and his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2023. His work has received notable awards including the Dr Harold Schenberg Art Fellowship from the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (2017); the AusArt Scholarship from the American Australian Association (2020); and the Marten Bequest Scholarship from Creative Australia (2021). He has participated in residencies at the Three Shadows Photography Centre, China (2019) and ran educational workshops at the Australian Centre for Photography, the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre; and 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney.

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Related events

A grid of nine images all showing individual objects pertaining to work and labour

The Open Ledger Public Program

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Join Kai Wasikowski for this special public program, photographing personal items that tell your story and displaying them in a growing gallery installation.

Upcoming exhibitions