‘Aishah Kenton and Sean Davey are two of the most prolific and creative photographers in Australia.’
Dean Lewins, Picture Editor, Australian Associated Press.
Kenton/Davey (2024) © Shelley Xue
Kenton/Davey (Aishah Kenton and Sean Davey) are photographers, curators and educators whose shared practices stem from long-held interests in documentary and participatory photography.
The pair have exhibited in and curated exhibitions across Australia. Their work is held in numerous state and national collections.
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.
(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 an internationally respected photographer with over two decades of experience in journalism and documentary photography. Sean is currently a lecturer in photojournalism in the School of Culture and Communication at The University of Melbourne.
In 2024, Sean was a finalist in the photo essay category of the Walkley Awards. In 2020, Sean was awarded 2nd Place (Contemporary Issues) in the World Press Photo Award. In the same year, Sean was named the overall winner of the National Rural Press Club Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
In 2017, Sean was commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to photograph the drawdown of RAMSI in the Solomon Islands, resulting in a publication and touring exhibition. From 2005-2014, Sean worked extensively in Papua New Guinea, facilitating education programs with the University of PNG.
Sean’s work has appeared in numerous exhibitions, including the Walkley Awards, The National Photographic Portrait Prize, the Olive Cotton Portrait Prize, the Moran Contemporary Photography Prize, and the William & Winifred Bowness Photography Prize.
From 2011-18, Sean was the director of TPR Gallery, an independent gallery based in Canberra.