‘Aishah Kenton and Sean Davey are two of the most prolific and creative photographers in Australia.’
- Dean Lewins, Picture Editor and photographer, Australian Associated Press.
Kenton/Davey (Aishah Kenton & Sean Davey) are innovative photographers, curators, and educators whose collaborative practices draw from a deep-rooted passion for documentary and observational photography. Their artistic visions centre on the intimacies of contemporary daily life and explores the nuanced intersection of personal experiences and broader social issues.
With a diverse portfolio, Kenton/Davey have showcased their work in numerous exhibitions across Australia, contributing to both group and solo shows. Their curatorial efforts have also fostered dialogue around photographic art and social inclusion, enriching the Australian cultural landscape. Their works are held in significant state and national collections, affirming their ongoing contribution to the medium of photography,
Kenton/Davey are committed to community engagement. The pair actively involve communities in their creative processes and facilitate opportunities that resonate on personal and collective levels.
In 2021, Aishah and Sean co-founded the Pacific Centre for Photographic Arts, a non-profit organisation dedicated to photography education. This initiative provides accessible creative experiences, workshops, and resources, empowering individuals and communities to explore photography as an art form.
Selected works can be found through Open Editions. Co, where they continue to push the boundaries of photography while encouraging accessibility to the medium of fine art photography.
Kenton/Davey (2024) © Shelley Xue
(Nur) Aishah Kenton is a Singapore-born, Malay-Australian photographer, artist, and educator whose work is deeply rooted in her own experiences of migration and cultural identity.
Growing up navigating multiple cultures has profoundly shaped Aishah’s artistic vision. She employs photography, archival materials, and installation to weave together personal histories and broader narratives, often using collaborative and participatory methods. Aishah’s multidimensional practice bridges conceptual and documentary approaches and invites viewers to reflect on their own identities while exploring themes of history and belonging.
Aishah’s work has been recognised with several grants, commissions, and awards. She was a finalist in the Maggie Diaz Photography Prize for Women (2017) and has received accolades in the National Portrait Prize (2024) and Australian Life (2024). In 2022 Aishah was featured in the British Journal of Photography’s One’s to Watch and participated in the Magnum Photography Lab.
Aishah seeks to share stories that resonate on a human level, inviting audiences to engage with the rich tapestry of cultural narratives that shape our world.
Aishah grew up in Kuala Lumpur and is an alumni of the Australian National University in Canberra with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2018), where she majored in photography at the School of Art and Design and graduated with an Emerging Artist Award in collaboration with Goulburn Regional Art Gallery.
Sean (Saeed) Davey is a photographer and educator with over twenty-five years of professional experience in journalism and documentary practice. Currently a lecturer in photojournalism at the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne, Sean combines his passion for photography with a commitment to education and community engagement.
In 2020, Sean was awarded 2nd Place in the World Press Photo Awards in the Contemporary Issues category and the Overall Winner of the National Rural Press Club Awards for Excellence in Journalism. That same year, he was shortlisted for the Australian Photography Awards for his work during the Black Summer bushfires. Sean was recently named a finalist in the photo essay category of the 2024 Walkley Awards.
From 2005 to 2014, Sean’s photography focused on Papua New Guinea and facilitated education programs in collaboration with the University of Papua New Guinea. His interest in documenting social issues in the Pacific continued in 2017 when he was commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to chronicle the drawdown of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).
Sean received a Highly Commended award in the National Photographic Portrait Prize in 2016 and the Moran Contemporary Photography Prize in 2009. His photographs were also featured in the William & Winifred Bowness Photography Prize at the Monash Gallery of Art in 2001 and 2007.
Sean has developed photography programs for the Gallery of Modern Art/Queensland Art Gallery (GOMA), Australia Council’s Artist-in-Schools program, Linden New Art and Belconnen Art Gallery. From 2011 to 2018, Sean served as the founder and director of The Photography Room, an independent gallery based in Canberra.