The subject of homecoming is no stranger to photographer Lisa Sorgini. Her work forms a quiet, poetic thread connecting women, mothers, and children across time and place. Lisa’s distinctive imagery – romantic yet grounded – captures the layered reality of motherhood. With echoes of Dutch Old Masters in her use of light and tone, her photographs feel timeless while being deeply rooted in the now.
As we prepare for the release of her new book In Passing, published by the esteemed art book publisher Libraryman, we spoke to Lisa about her evolving artistic journey, her reflections on Behind Glass, and the enduring emotional power of photography.
So I guess the first question would be; where and what is home to you?
For as long as I’ve been a mother, home hasn’t felt like a geographic place. It’s wherever my family is. At the moment, that’s on the east coast of Australia, in a coastal town on Bundjalung Country.
Interestingly enough your surroundings of bright sunny beaches and subtropical greens don’t show up in your work too much, what other influences do you see in your work?
It’s true, the landscape around me rarely appears in my imagery. I think I’m more drawn to interior worlds, both literally and metaphorically. My influences often emerge subconsciously. What consciously inspires me is harder to define, but I’m deeply shaped by the intangible: dreams, sensory experiences, memory, and emotion.
Your book Behind Glass received international acclaim. Can you talk about how it came to be?
Behind Glass began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That early period felt so unfamiliar, this looming uncertainty without any reference point. In many ways, it mirrored the experience of early motherhood: disorienting, isolating, overwhelming. At that time, my youngest son was six months old, and my eldest was five. I felt, like so many others, completely suspended, cut off from support systems and trying to parent in a vacuum.
Creating the series was a lifeline. It allowed me to connect with other women, to document something ephemeral but deeply shared. That intimacy is what resonated most.