I was invited to attend Michelle Tran’s first solo exhibit, Sky High, at the Lindberg Galleries. I must say I was amazed at the quality of the prints and the way they were well lit: they stood out from the dark grey walls as if they were lit from behind. I also thought that the simple composition of her works reminded me of those of Loan Nguyen whose crisp simple composition never cease to amaze me. Michelle Tran is Vietnamese and gleaned from her personal cultural experience while growing up to develop this series. Being half-Vietnamese, I felt I could relate with some of her ideas portrayed in her works. I thought this exhibit was a perfect example of how the personal can enable one to create unique ideas. I’ve been interested in how female artist photographers incorporate their cultural background in their work. Mari Hirata is one artist photographer, based on the Gold Coast, whose work deals with her mixed heritage. Mari combines installation and self-portraiture in her works.