11/05/2025
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐๐
๐ผ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ค๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ขโ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ผ๐ก๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐งโ๐จ ๐ฟ๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐.
Iโve been noticeably absent from social media these past couple of months and have humbly declined a few photography jobs to concentrate on a personal project celebrating the life of my beautiful Mฤmฤ through visual imagery.
Two years ago, with the help of my whฤnau, I undertook a literary project titled
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐คฬ ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐. This pukapuka was carefully crafted exploring Mumโs early life, told through her own voice, making it a cherished keepsake for our tamariki and mokopuna for generations to come.
Now, with Mumโs permission, Iโm turning a literal lens on Mate Wareware by documenting the emotional and physical impact of dementia, with a considerate and ethical focus on celebrating my Mumโs life and enduring spirit.
Each portrait in this project, whether itโs candid, fun or intimate, is approached with empathy and respect, particularly given my Mumโs current capacity.
While Hapai ล Ki Muri was a written narrative, The Long Goodbye is a sequence of images of my Mum, with perhaps only a caption or two. The idea behind this โword-lessโ kaupapa is to use photographs to convey the narrative by creating a raw and real understanding for the viewer around those where cognitive and speech abilities decline. Effectively, leaving it up to the individual to interpret the meaning behind the pictures.
And while I've had sleepless nights and mixed feelings about this kaupapa, Mum has allowed me to publicly share the following two images of her, while the rest will be for respectfully reserved for whฤnauโฆโฆfor now.
Happy Mฤmฤs day to all our Mums. Those present, those gone too soon, those we've never met, but especially to mine.
We love you Mฤmฤ ๐
