Venus 8

I first stepped backstage at a Perth club in 2022, invited by Fei, a dancer I’d been friends with online for some time. That night was the start of Venus 8, a long-form project documenting the lives of dancers and workers’ across Western Australia. In this world, clubs are more than workplaces, they are places of ritual, identity, community, and resilience.

Over the years of documenting, I spent my evenings capturing the layered identities within these spaces: dancers, mothers, providers, artists, creatives — all navigating agency, performance, and self-expression.

At the peak of my own identity unravelling, from social worker to mother, to photographer, I was drawn to the duality and complexity of identity shifting. I was never chasing the show; I was listening to their stories, witnessing how they hold agency over their worlds, and how that agency is reclaimed.

The people I encountered were mothers, therapists, artists and activists. Sharing space with them has been nothing short of a blessing for me.

This scene is so often documented through the performance, and through the lens of spectacle. Venus 8 steps away from that gaze entirely, into the quieter spaces where the community works, rests, and reveals its many dimensions.

I was welcomed into this world with open arms. From the managers opening early so I could shoot, to the collaborators sharing their endless stories with me. I’m forever grateful for their candour, spirit, access and solidarity.

A tattooed woman in black lingerie leaning over a bathroom sink, washing her hands or face, with a toilet in the background.
A performer on stage wearing high-heeled shoes, posing with legs apart, in a nightclub with colorful lights and curtains in the background.
Two women in lingerie looking at their reflections in a mirror in a pink locker room with black and white checkered flooring.
Two women with tattoos sitting on a bench in a dark, red-lit room, exchanging money and cards.
A woman with tattoos and wearing a striped top is leaning over a bathroom counter, looking at her reflection in a mirror. The setting appears to be a locker room or dressing room with lockers and personal items in the background.
Black and white checkered floor with various shoes and accessories, including a pair of clear high heel shoes, a black pair of shoes with decorative pins and chains, a white boot with black designs, and a checked skirt.
Two young girls playing with a large pink dollhouse and dolls on the floor in a room.
three women in revealing lingerie and fishnet stockings sitting on a bench in a dimly lit, red-colored room.
A woman with blond hair lying down, illuminated by pink lighting, wearing lace clothing and jewelry, with a relaxed expression.
Close-up of a woman with multiple tattoos, jewelry, and colorful nail art, touching her lip area with her hand.
Woman in pink bikini holding a marker and smiling in a room with a mirror and chairs.
Two women kneeling on the floor in front of lockers, wearing revealing lingerie and black shoes, with various tattoos on their arms and tattoos on their stomachs. They are sitting close to each other with their legs folded under them.