Cover Art

The cover image shows HaiHa Le performing in the play A Story of Soil, written by Chi Vu. A Story of Soil looks at two young Australians, Tien and Jonathan, who are trying to forge identities and ways of life that acknowledge both the Australian values of their peers and Vietnamese values of their parents, Quynh and Hieu. The play was first staged at the Footscray Community Arts Centre in Melbourne in 2000 and won the Playbox Asialink Prize for Bilingual Play in 2001.

The photograph on the cover was taken by Viv Méhes. Viv Méhes has worked as an Australian documentary photographer since the late 1970s. Advocacy through storytelling is at the heart of her work. Working collaboratively with communities and writers on longterm projects, she produces exhibitions and publications, creating cultural narratives to understand place and belonging. Themes of migration, displacement, dignity and resilience inform her work. She has exhibited in both solo and group shows, and has had numerous exhibitions touring Australia. Collections in which her work is held include the National Gallery of Victoria, New South Wales Art Gallery, Australian National Library and Victorian and NSW State Libraries.

HaiHa Le is a screen actor who is a series regular on TV shows such as Back To The Rafters, Hungry Ghosts, Bed of Roses, Kick, and Neighbours. In 2005 she received a Green Room Award nomination for her performance in the play Shrimp. Chi Vu is an award-winning writer and director who has contributed an essay to this issue's special section.

Photo credit:

Photo by Viv Méhes (C) 2000