Can we ever wear the costume of another and truly understand them? We have complex relationships with each other, with our environments and with our inner-selves. We shut doors, we close minds and we fail to recognise our shared humanity. Who are the insiders, who are the outsiders? Who is looking in and who is looking out?
My daughter, Tahlia secured a job at a school where she was required to cover her hair. She chose to wear a hijab, even though a beanie would have sufficed. It was interesting how easily she carried it and how other people were provoked by her clothing. Often in a gently chiding way. I imagined her looking into a world that wasn’t hers. What confronted her was herself and prevailing attitudes. My question is, who is looking in and who is looking out? What does it mean to be an ‘outsider’? (entry Doug Moran Prize)