Abigail Varney

Abigail Varney is a portrait and documentary photographer based in Melbourne. Varney’s work predominantly evolves from her curiosity and connection to Australia’s land, people and ecology; to explore untold stories that give light to the diversity of Australian life.

After graduating from Photography Studies College in Melbourne 2013, she completed an internship with Mary Ellen Mark in New York City. In 2014, her portrait series was featured at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. Her long-term documentary project shot in Coober Pedy, Rough & Cut (2014–2018), has been exhibited in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, as well as in the UK and Russia. Her latest on going work The Build Up was featured in the 2019 Spring Exhibition at the Centre for Contemporary Photography in Melbourne and was a finalist in the Australian Photography Awards stories selection. In 2020 she became a new member of the photography collective Oculi and will be releasing her first publication with Trespasser, a Texas based independent art book publisher.