A Conversation with Mia Chahin
Mia Chahin has been creating for as long as she can remember, using art as a way to express ideas and connect with the world around her. After studying at TAFE, she kept pushing across mediums, blending street art, graphic design, and raw, intuitive techniques shaped by graffiti, skate culture, and abstract forms. Her work stays open-ended on purpose: no single meaning, just whatever the viewer sees and feels.
For Flash. Issue 03 — a Project See & B × Jean Marie Film collaboration giving twenty creatives second-hand film cameras and total freedom — Mia picked up a Fujifilm DL-312 Zoom for the first time and let instinct take over.
She kept it simple: take it everywhere, shoot what feels right, don’t overthink it.
“I honestly had no idea what I was doing with my roll of film. It was my first time owning a film camera, and I felt completely overwhelmed by the endless possibilities. So I just took it everywhere with me and trusted instinct shooting whatever caught my eye, without overthinking it.”
Her final pieces are quiet but strong.
Where did this project begin for you?
“I honestly had no idea what I was doing with my roll of film. It was my first time owning a film camera, and I felt completely overwhelmed by the endless possibilities. So I just took it everywhere with me and trusted instinct shooting whatever caught my eye, without overthinking it.”
How did you approach making the work?
Mia kept her approach loose and responsive — following whatever pulled her attention.
“When it comes to photography, I tend to take photos of things that intrigue me or simply make me happy.”
With her other art projects, she’s just as open to experimentation.
“With my other art projects, I tend to be more all over the place, experimenting with different ideas, styles, and subjects, often driven by whatever I’m enjoying in the moment.”
What were you hoping the work would hold?
“I wanted to take photos of things that spoke to me, moments that felt quietly meaningful… At a glance, it looks as though the tree is supporting the rock, and that unexpected perception instantly makes the scene intriguing.”
It’s a scene that flips expectation: the heavy thing feels fragile, the living thing feels solid.
“Rocks are meant to be the unmoving presence solid, heavy, permanent. Trees, on the other hand, are expected to grow around them, adapt to their weight and shape. But here, those roles feel reversed.”
How would you describe your practice?
“My creative practice is kinda all over the place, I can be super messy and just go with the flow, letting ideas come naturally, or I can switch gears and plan everything out exactly, down to the tiniest detail. I love messing around with new ideas and different mediums… either way, I like keeping it real and seeing where my ideas take me.”
What’s inspiring you creatively right now?
“I’m really inspired by the people around me and the time I spend outdoors. Being with my friends in nature, going on bush walks, or just spending time outside, makes me feel present and happy, and that feeling naturally feeds into my creativity. Those moments slow me down and help me notice small details I might otherwise miss. I’m drawn to things that feel calm, grounding, and joyful.”
What’s next?
For now, Mia’s keeping things open, letting her work evolve as she goes.
“I’m not working on anything new at the moment, but I always keep my art page on instagram up to date — check it out here: @m4yhem_07.”
Flash. — Exhibition & Issue 03 Launch
Flash. Issue 03 One-week-only exhibition:
19 — 25 January 2026
10am to 4pm daily
Terrace Greenhouse Gallery
223 South Terrace, South Fremantle, WA
Free entry
Project See & B is dedicated to amplifying under-represented voices in the creative industry. Issue 03 was made possible thanks to the support of The Blackbird Foundation.
