The goal of ‘Our Voices’ is to educate people about the lives of those with disabilities and their support networks. Janneth’s belief is that this education will lead to more open, tolerant and equal communities that celebrate difference rather than stigmatize it.

Sam’s family survived the Cambodian Genocide–they were escaping from imprisonment when he was born. As a small child, he lived horrific experiences at the Khao-I-Dang refugee camp in Thailand. His early life is a crude example of what no child should have to endure; yet his life now is an example to follow. Sam reveals his story with sincerity and openness. He tells of his transformation, the various hardships duri his life, and also the acceptance he has found as a refugee in New Zealand.

A few years ago while traveling to Bogotá–the city I was born, I found myself walking in a dangerous neighbourhood looking for a tattoo parlour. At the time having a tattoo in Colombia was still related to lower class individuals and criminals. But for me, tattooing had different connotations as I was already living in New Zealand. For me, tattooing was part of our own identity, ethnicity, and culture.

The Edge of the East project is a collaboration between Christchurch City Libraries and the University of Canterbury to create a documentary photographic record of New Brighton.

A collaboration between Christchurch City Libraries and the University of Canterbury, School of Fine Arts to create a documentary photographic record of Bishopdale and surrounds in 2017

In some areas of Colombia such as Boyacá and Bogotá Sumercé is used to address people who are perceived as social superiors and as a way to show respect. Sumercé in an exploration into my family history and our indigenous and Spanish cultural background.

Tales of the old, the new and the dead

All meaningful accounts of the real world are influenced by the social contexts in which such accounts are constructed. We try to improve or modify our bodies in many ways, as the concept of beauty changes depending on societal norms, beliefs and the point of time in history. Studies of the Human Form celebrates each of us as masterpieces. As the result of millions of years of evolution challenging the subject and the viewer to break preconceptions of beauty.

An exploration of The Cult of True Womanhood Ideology and its effects on contemporary society