Tanja Milbourne is a 'Third Culture Kid', someone who grew up in multiple cultures across the globe. She was incredibly fortunate but also struggled with a sense of rootlessness. She found a sense of belonging through dance from an early age, and trained in classical and contemporary dance until her mid 20s.

While her professional development later shifted towards the visual arts, she maintained a deep connection to dance as a universal language that transcends borders and cultures. After earning a Bachelor of Visual Art from Sydney University, Tanja delved into exploring themes of identity and belonging through various mediums and collaborations.

As well as her artwork being showcased in Paris & the Venice Architecture Biennale, she has exhibited and worked in Berlin, Rotterdam, and Sydney before finally settling in Melbourne. She was invited to join Tape Projects Artists Collective, which saw her involved in numerous exhibitions, projects and community events. 

Despite life's twists, including the joys of becoming a mother and the challenging journey through cancer, Tanja's artistic journey remains steadfast.

For her series "In Equilibrium", Tanja worked with professional dancers, choreographing expressive jumping moves. She sought to capture the critical moment between ascending and descending, freezing the dancer mid-air in a pose that embodies tension and release, floating and falling—an equilibrium. The photographs are edited onto a black background, to isolate the figure further in space and time.

Her artistic journey encompasses not only her captivating dance photography but also intricate line drawings that serve as a window into her meditative practice. What began as a personal ritual evolved into a significant artistic endeavour, intertwining with her exploration of movement and form. These line drawings, born from moments of introspection and tranquility, now complement her striking dancer photographs, adding layers of depth and texture to her visual narratives.

The unique “line work on dancer photographs” artworks bear titles that draw inspiration from the realms of classical ballet and mycorrhizal fungus, methodically acknowledging each element within the composition. This intentional pairing serves to unite the universal language of dance with the concepts of collaboration and symbiotic relationships. By doing so, the artworks poetically express the notion that while individuals may often experience emotional and existential isolation, our true essence lies in profound interconnectedness. It is through the act of surrendering and embracing vulnerability that we truly flourish, unveiling the extraordinary beauty that unfolds when we courageously explore our inherent interconnectedness as beings.