Ezz Monem

Ezz Monem is a photo-based artist from Egypt who lives and works in Melbourne. He uses photography to explore the pluralism of reality. The images playing with sensations of ambivalence and conflict, giving visual form to the multiplicity of identity in places, people, and objects.

Monem sources the images from found photos, fiction films, videos and google street views. He utilizes the mechanical reproduction capabilities of the camera along with various darkroom techniques to transform them  into photographic works and imaginary archives. Through the repurposing of images, he attempts to make autoethnographic works that come from his background, of growing up in Egypt and his experience migrating  to Australia.

Monem graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University and worked as a software engineer, but his explorations in visual arts began years earlier. His work has been shown in exhibitions in Egypt, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.  Awards include the Golden Award at the Emirates International Photography Competition, the Golden Award at Sharjah Awards, Arab Photo and the NOIR Darkroom Most Experimental Image award at the ILFORD CCP Salon.

Monem has completed a Master of Contemporary Art at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne.