Snapper spreads the word on what’s close to his art

Jorge de Araujo spent last week teaching children about life in Timor-Leste.

The Footscray photographer hosted workshops in Kyneton and Woodend as part of Cultural Diversity Week celebrations run by Macedon Ranges council.

Schools including Candlebark, Newham, Kyneton, Woodend and St Ambrose took part.

Araujo was born in Timor-Leste in 1977 and left to live in Portugal at the age of 11.

His family came to Australia in 1993.

But since 2005, Araujo has visited his homeland to “put his culture into pictures”.

His exhibition, Kitchen Talks, on display at Kyneton Town Hall last week, was a series of photos showcasing Timor-Leste culture through food and stories collected from the kitchen.

“Timorese recipes are not written down anywhere,” he said. “They are passed down from generation to generation and I wanted to put them down on paper.”

A second exhibition in Woodend was about life growing up in East Timor.