Kathrin Longhurst Irrational

Kathrin Longhurst was introduced to her subject, Midori Goto, by an artist friend. Longhurst was looking for someone with a strong, fierce character for her latest body of work, Mind-Field, which explores how gendered language and stereotypes inform our view of women.

‘It wasn’t until we started working together, however, that I realised how much the stories I was trying to tell mirrored Midori’s own,’ says Longhurst, a three-time Archibald finalist. She describes Goto as a passionate young woman with bold opinions, who had often been told she was ‘difficult’ or had ‘too much attitude’.

‘As a teenager, these labels led Midori to question her sexuality and gender. She was neither soft nor subservient, and therefore did not present as a “traditional” feminine archetype. She often felt society dictating that she suppress her strong-minded, rebellious nature.

‘Midori began her career in childcare – a profession dominated by women – but eventually moved on to working within the arts community. As an advocate for artists and a studio manager, she has finally found her voice and is accepted for the woman she is.’