"Alter Ego" is a photographic project born from an examination of the public personas of individuals and the hidden layers behind these facades.
The project captures the transformation of New Zealanders into their "other I"—the literal translation of the Latin term "alter ego."
This exploration taps into the innate creativity within all of us and our collective desire for freedom of expression.
The core idea is to reveal the contrast between the everyday masks people wear and their true selves, often concealed from the public eye.
What results are two portraits that stand alongside each other; a juxtaposition of the public face and the face that lays within.
Alter Ego
I, is another
Allan.
Growing up I was always fascinated by wrestling and the concept of two guys with nothing more than their strength and ability squaring off.
It is a true basic animal instinct.
Growing up in Ireland I used to watch the old-style British wrestling on TV every Saturday afternoon and secretly wished I was a wrestler too.
The jobber. The heel. Seconds away, round one...
Jessielee.
In my short 27 years, there has been nothing more important to me than my culture, friends and phases come and go but not what made me or who made me, it is what keeps me anchored to earth, at times I may be cash broke but i will always be culture rich.
Ta moko design: Broughton Johnson (Paratene)
Jessie.
I discovered rockabilly culture in Australia in 2003. I'd had bad self-image issues for years, and here were there curvaceous women with similar figures to me, inked & strutting their stuff on a catwalk.
I suddenly felt like I'd found myself.
For me, it's not dress up, it's an everyday thing to dress up, makeup. It's also now the complete culture - the cars, the music, the lot.
Both the acceptance of my body shape by discovering 1950's influenced fashion, and the ink itself, I have better self-esteem than I ever dreamed I would.
Genevieve.
Patrick.
Jacquie.
Abigale.
She is the darkness
of my light
She is the night
of my day
She is the naughty
of my nice
She always wants me to play!
She is the erotic
of my erratic
She is the other half of me!
Peta.
Abigael.
Andy.
If you were to ask most people who know me but not necessarily all that well, I think you'd probably hear them identify me as my alter ego, some kind of hard-ass rocker, but to those who know me best, I'm more likely to be described as a soft-hearted, bookish and somewhat reclusive homebody.
If I'm listening to music at home, it's far more likely to be some chilled out ambient or downbeat styles, than it is to be anything like the type of music I make with my guitar onstage.
Claire.
Cassie.
My alter-ego is my happy place.
It shouts for me when I'm feeling meek.
It is my inner goddess, a representation of my feminine strength.
My alter-ego is what I try to live up to.
Dan.
Hannah.
My alterego is… well, me.
She’s me as I am without the things that hold me back, she’s me as I would love to live every day of my life. Unfortunately, I don’t get to ‘be’ her that often.
I live with a chronic pain condition known as Fibromyalgia.
I’ve had it since I was 16, and since I’ve had it I’ve been at every stage of functioning from not being able to roll over in bed by myself to playing capoeira and training kickboxing.
Elizabeth.
Donald.
Heath.
Judas.
Annabelle.
Hannah.
Jamie.
For me, being alternative is not just about striving to be different, it's about recognising and embracing the fact that you are 'different'.
I've been called 'strange' since I can remember, and it's never bothered me or persuaded me to change myself.
Not for anyone, and not for myself. I have a strong interest in all things dark and macabre.
Not because I consider myself dark, it's just so much more interesting than things that aren't dark and macabre. Reality is irrefutable when we can recognise the fact that horror, macabre, death and obscenity are all too true.
The Plague Doctors mask I created is often a symbol of my imagination, my art and my interests.
Travis.
James.
Sinead.
Jenny.
Alan.
Miss Chiff.
Aaron.
Gin.
I use to hate the colour pink, now it's okay I like it, I look good in it and I don't care what other people think anymore.
Pink came at me in my late teens, challenged my cynicism and my hang-ups about life.
So here's me, a glimpse of proof that I am okay with myself.
Elizabeth.
Emma.
Denni.
Holly.
Ivy.
Jaimie.
The way I dress lets me adopt a different persona every time - I can be a cute punk pirate, a steampunk, a sophisticated pin-up...
It's an incredibly freeing way to express myself.
Tanya.
Jenn.
Mel.