PROFILE
PHOTOGRAPHER . RESEARCHER . LECTURER
TAMAKI MAKAURAU / AUCKLAND . NEW ZEALAND
Jocelyn
Janon
I am a photographer, researcher, and lecturer in Media Design based in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. My practice explores photography as an evolving, investigative process, integrating fictionalism, archival research, and embodied methods to challenge dominant visual narratives.
Working at the intersection of speculation and constraint, I employ a cyclical, research-driven methodology shaped by OUxPO-inspired frameworks and structured experimentation.
I reinterpret vernacular photography and archival materials as sites of speculation, questioning authorship and reimagining historical narratives.
Collaboration and collective authorship are central to my work, fostering non-hierarchical creation through dialogue and ethical engagement.
As a Tauiwi immigrant artist, I engage with the evolving history of Aotearoa/New Zealand, challenging fixed notions of authorship, truth, and agency through speculative visual storytelling.
My work begins with attention.
To people, to the natural world, and to the small gestures.
|> 01
Research Streams
|> Speculative methods
& philosophy of lies
Fiction and fabrication - constructing meaning beyond realism.
|> Collective authorship
& action research
Image-making rooted in interdependence ethical co-creation.
|> Archival memory
& cultural identity
Reframing archives to probe identity, memory and culture.
→ Lucent
|> 02
Teaching & Pedagogy
|> Current position
Media Design School. Bachelor of Media Design - Lecturer (Level 5-7)
Integrating Graphic Design, Interactive Design, Motion Design, and Photography across the programme.
My pedagogy is relational and andragogical: working alongside students to develop clarity of intention, confidence in process, and a reflective understanding of their creative decisions.
|> Course
Major portfolio
Supports MDS/BMD students in developing a cohesive, industry-ready design portfolio reflecting both creative identity and technical capability. I guide students through an iterative process of selection, refinement, and critical reflection, and have initiated industry portfolio reviews that bring practitioners directly into the classroom.
|> Course
Interdisciplinary Group Project
Invites students from diverse design specialisations to collaborate on a shared brief, navigating difference, negotiating roles, and building a collective creative language. I support teams to develop strong communication practices and engage critically with the social and cultural contexts of their work.
|> Course
Portfolio Supervision & Awards Mentoring
Individual portfolio oversight and preparation of student work for awards submissions, including the Designer Institute of New Zealand Best Awards, Good Design Australia, and the World Brand Design Society Awards.
↗ Designer Institute Best Awards
|> Course
Capstone Project: Practice-Based Inquiry
Students undertake a substantial, self-directed piece of practice-based research. I mentor them as they develop research questions, refine methodologies, and situate their practice within broader disciplinary conversations.
|> Role
Programme Development
Design and delivery of courses spanning graphic, interactive, and motion design. Blended and hybrid learning using agile andragogy principles. Photography coordination and studio management.
|> Role
Research & Innovation
Research fellow. Ongoing integration of new technologies and methods. Industry engagement through marketing, photography, and open-day outreach.
|> Role
Community & Pastoral Care
Active participation in Māori and Pasifika workshops. Student support and inclusive practice for diverse learners, including those with ADHD and non-visible disabilities.
|> 03
Selected Awards
New Zealand Photographer of the Year
2022 — Runner-up, Portrait
2012 — Runner-up, Society & Culture · Highly Commended
2011 — Runner-up, Society & Culture
PX3 Prix de la Photographie, Paris
2022 — Winner (Bronze) for Tinaku
2021 — Honorable Mention for Monuments
London International Creative Competition
2021 — Official Selection for Tinaku
Head On Photo Awards, Australia
2022 — Semi-finalist, Head On Portrait Awards
Exhibited at Head On Photo Festival, Sydney
Tokyo International Foto Awards
2022 — HM Fine Art / Still Life for Tinaku
2020 — HM Editorial / Photo Essay for Rear Window
Monovisions Black & White Photography
2022 — HM for Portrait of Elin-Heni
2021 — HM for Patriarchy
2020 — HM for Monuments
|> 04
Selected Exhibitions
2023
Auckland Festival of Photography — resistance [ātete]
Tinaku · Outdoor exhibition · Freyberg Square, Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland
2023
the point of incidence
Collaborative work with Amber Liberté, Terrease McComb, Liv Hobman · .theend gallery, Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland
2022
Head On Award Festival
Sydney, Australia
2021
God-House
Visual collaboration with Jahra Wasasala · Artweek 2021 · Light on Te Komititanga · Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland
2020
Monuments
Tempo Dance Festival · Auckland, New Zealand
2016
Alter Ego
New Zealand House, High Commission of New Zealand · London, UK
2015
Alter Ego, I is another
Digital Darkroom · Auckland, New Zealand
|> 05
Academic & Research Profiles
Academic network & publications
Practice-based research portal
Media Design School repository
Open Researcher & Contributor ID
Citations & publications index
Lucent project
Institutional profile
Creative industry network
Contact to request curriculum vitae
Licenses & certifications
|> Teaching Merit Certificate
Teaching Merit Certificate
Media Design School / Torrens University Australia
Skills: Higher Education Teaching
|> IELTS
Certificate - Academic - IELTS Official
Credential ID Overall Band Score: 7.5
Skills: English
|> Pastoral Care
Non-visible disabilities and ADHD
Your Way | Kia Roha
Skills: Community & Pastoral Care, Pastoral Care
|> 06
Extended Practices
Botany & Natural History
|> Publication
Janon, J., & Brun, J. (2020). Aux origines des polyantha nains remontants. Bulletin de Roses Anciennes en France, 27.
Investigates the early development of dwarf remontant polyantha roses through archival catalogues, breeder correspondence, and comparative morphological analysis.
|> Publication
Janon, J. (2006). Edward Lippiatt. Bulletin de Roses Anciennes en France.
Biographical study of Edward Lippiatt, a significant yet understudied figure in rose breeding. Reconstructs his contributions to cultivar development through historical documents and nursery catalogues.
|> Volunteer
Auckland War Memorial Museum, Botany Department.
In the past, I assisted with the identification of plant specimens across collections and public submissions, contributing to the accuracy and accessibility of botanical records.
|> Rose breeding
Several cultivars have been officially registered, each named after places or people of personal significance — an extension of the same attentiveness that drives the photographic practice.
Objects Design
|> Furniture design
Designing original furniture as a practice of conceptualisation and craft — experimenting with form, material, and function to produce pieces that reflect both personal aesthetics and structural logic.
|> Fountain pen design
Designing and crafting fountain pens as objects of personal expression — each pen reflects individual style, preferences, and at times, personal history.