Proof (2018-Ongoing)

Proof is a personal and political exploration of Australia’s Partner Visa (820 & 801) process—the most expensive in the world. Through this work, I reflect on my own experience navigating the application, exposing the layers of scrutiny, bureaucratic demands, and the emotional weight carried by those undertaking it. Using black and white photographs made between my partner and me on a point and shoot camera in our one-bedroom apartment (between 2018-2021), I juxtapose moments of tenderness with the stark reality of bureaucratic scrutiny.

The application process is deeply invasive, demanding an exhaustive account of a relationship—financial records, personal messages, joint statements—turning private lives into evidence for institutional approval. By pairing these photographs with filled-out visa documents, I reveal the tension between intimacy and institutional control. This thorough interrogation of privacy speaks to broader issues of power, state control, and the racialised structures embedded in migration policies.

In Proof, I use photography as both evidence and resistance, questioning who is deemed worthy of belonging. The stark contrast between the human experience and the rigid bureaucracy highlights the imbalance of agency faced by those seeking partnership across borders. It speaks to the vulnerability imposed on migrant couples and the resilience required to navigate such systems. Ultimately, Proof invites viewers to consider the emotional and psychological toll of migration policies while asserting love against bureaucracy.