manawakura. muse
WHAKAMĀRAMA:
He atua, he wairua, he tangata rānei, ko ia hei puna auaha mō te ringatoi
A supernatural being, a spiritual force or person who is a major source of inspiration for an artist
manawa - heart
kura - red feathers, treasure, valued possession, heirloom, precious possession, sacred, divine
I am Ngāti Maniapoto (Ngāti Uekaha, Ngāti Paretāpoto, Ngāti Rereahu) and Pākehā. I was lucky enough to be brought up in Taranaki where the bush, the maunga and the sea brought solace, a sense of awe and a deep reverence for te taiao. Currently I live next to the awa in Kirikiriroa with my whānau.
I founded Manawakura Photography to create images that capture the magic, laughter, light, creative wairua and aroha in our lives. Visual storytelling with heart. I hope to give people the confidence to let their authentic and beautiful selves shine in their photos.
Manawakura Photography includes portraiture of both emerging and established creatives. It is one of my passions to collaborate with artists, to help promote their practice and celebrate their creative endeavours. My portraits of creatives have been featured in Art New Zealand and in the book, Art Legends Aotearoa, published by Massey University Press.
I have taught photography at Victoria University and RISD (Rhode Island School of Design, USA). I have exhibited both here and overseas and I hold a Master's degree in Photography (with honours) from RISD and an MA in Creative Writing from Victoria University.
To see my other creative projects head HERE