Edition of 50
Michaela's work is currently exhibiting at MAPh as part of the Develop exhition.
Receiving my Autism and ADHD diagnosis prompted me to reflect on the key supports in my life, one of them being the people in these images. Despite often feeling isolated (a frequent neurodivergent experience), I am fortunate enough to have an incredible network of friends and family. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today.
Part love letter to my community, part reminder that we are often less alone than we think, this book celebrates friendship, neurodiversity, and reclaiming space. A central component to the work is the collages. Chosen in collaboration with friends and family, with their own thoughts and feelings written on their portraits to ensure their agency and personalities are felt. I used collage to create visual overwhelm, which speaks to the sensory overwhelm that I experience from my neurodivergence.
This book was shortlisted for the 2026 Australia & New Zealand Photobook Awards student category. The series also received a Highly Commended in the 2025 Ballarat International Foto Biennale GradFoto.
Printed by Bambra
104 pp
Cover - 300gsm Wanda Uncoated / Text - 150gsm Earl White
Thank you for letting me be myself is supported through the Australian Cultural Fund.
About the artist
Michaela Ottone is a queer, neurodivergent photographer based in Naarm/Melbourne. Working from a decolonial lens, she endeavours to empower others through collaborative image making, and hopefully in the future, educational workshops. Her work examines identity, community, belonging, and vulnerability, through the lens of her late neurodivergent diagnosis. She make prints, photobooks and personal projects about what she loves, to raise awareness of issues that are important to her, and to increase the accessibility of art to a wider audience.
She is currently completing a Bachelor of Photography and Digital Imaging at Photography Studies College, majoring in photojournalism.
