The Roses Book 1 and Book 2

My father Giovanni Li Rosi embarked on his solo migration from Italy to Australia in 1950, at just 18 years of age. Recently, I've dedicated myself to documenting his life story through personal interviews, the collection of official migration documents, and family photographic archives. Concurrently, for the past few years, I have immersed myself in viewing and documenting the State Library of Victoria archives of unidentified portraits found in various Melbourne and Regional Victorian 19th-century family picture albums.

The juxtaposition of these enigmatic albums with my father's narrative strikes me profoundly, highlighting the universality and interconnectedness of human experience. My project intertwines personal and broader histories, exploring a dialogue between past and present, and weaving together both individual and collective memory.