research
overview
I frame my work as a form of inquiry in which photographic processes become a way of thinking rather than a means of producing images.
METHODS
My research treats photography as a fluid, constructed narrative rather than a passive record. Through fictionalism, archival research, and embodied practice, I challenge representation, authorship, and cultural memory, fostering ethical engagement and iterative discovery.
This practice allows me to investigate questions of perception, materiality, and visual uncertainty in ways that conventional analytical methods cannot. My research contributes to wider academic conversations about how knowledge is produced through artistic processes, and how photographic experimentation can reveal aspects of experience that resist verbal or purely theoretical explanation.
My photographic practice is an exploration of humanity, shaped by speculative methodologies and voluntary constraints that generate creativity rather than limit it.
Drawing on OUxPO-inspired experimentation and the Philosophy of Lies, I treat fiction and fabrication as epistemological tools, constructing meaning beyond realism through distortion, exaggeration, and Pataphysical play.
Rooted in cyclical processes of research, reflection, and reinterpretation, I reframe vernacular archives and familial artefacts to probe identity, memory, and cultural resonance.
Central to my work is collective authorship, where dialogue and participation foster ethical, non-hierarchical creation.
As a Tauiwi immigrant artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, I engage with the evolving history of Aotearoa/New Zealand, challenging fixed notions of authorship, truth, and agency through speculative visual storytelling.
Over the years, I have developed a distinct working method, one shaped by movement, intuition, and adaptation. Like many photographers, I work in dynamic environments where rapid thinking and physical mobility are essential. Philosophy, in this context, is not abstract but embodied; it unfolds in the rhythm of production, the urgency of decision-making, and the act of walking.
From my university days, when I drew from reading Ciro Giordano Bruni's work, to my more recent explorations of Action Research, my practice has evolved through collaboration. Building teams founded on interdependence has been central to my approach, ensuring that ethical considerations remain at the core of image-making. This commitment extends to my passion for archival research, history, and iconology (the study of visual imagery) which continually informs my photographic investigations.
Whether through Action Research or collective image-making, interdependence remains central to my work, ensuring that ethical considerations shape every stage of production. Through these interconnected practices, I continuously seek to redefine representation, challenge conventional artistic norms, and foster dialogue within visual culture.
METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
METHOD 01
Speculative fiction and the philosophy of lies as method
In my practice, speculative fiction functions not merely as a narrative genre but as a critical method to destabilise conventional constructs of truth. By employing principles of scientific fictionalism, I challenge the assumption that empirical verification is the sole marker of authenticity. Central to this approach is the "philosophy of lies," which embraces orchestrated fabrications to reveal deeper subjective and cultural truths. As Bruni (2017, 2019, 2021) has demonstrated in his extensive work on the interplay between photographic representation and fictional narrative, such strategies enable a reconfiguration of the visual field, blurring the lines between fact and fiction to enrich interpretative layers.
METHOD 02
Tactical obstruction and the production of nonlinear knowledge
Complementing the speculative narrative is my use of tactical obstruction — an intentional disruption of expected creative trajectories. By subverting standard compositional forms and narrative expectations, I foster the emergence of nonlinear patterns within my work. This strategic disruption creates moments of cognitive dissonance, thereby encouraging viewers to perceive established visual and conceptual hierarchies in new and unexpected ways. Didi-Huberman's (2003) investigation into the photographic iconography of the Salpêtrière serves as a useful parallel, revealing how disruption in conventional imagery can lead to a more profound engagement with historical and epistemological layers.
METHOD 03
Voluntary artistic constraints and experimental creativity
Deliberate limitations govern much of my creative process. Through the selective imposition of constraints — be they technical, aesthetical, or conceptual — I develop creative frameworks that intensify focus and invite experimental rigor. This approach resonates with the OUxPO-inspired methodologies that advocate for strict formal parameters as a means to unleash inventive potential. The restrictions I embrace function as catalysts for innovation, compelling a meticulous examination of form, light, and narrative, and ultimately leading to a richer interplay between expected boundaries and creative possibilities.
METHOD 04
Integrating Pataphysics, OUxPO, and scientific fictionalism
My practice draws further strength from the integration of theoretical models such as pataphysics and methodologies derived from OUxPO. Pataphysics, with its celebration of the absurd and the paradoxical, provides an intellectual foundation that challenges traditional modes of photographic inquiry. When combined with the rigorous constraints of OUxPO-inspired strategies and the narrative experimentation of scientific fictionalism, these approaches facilitate the deconstruction of mainstream visual culture. They open up alternative avenues for interpreting both contemporary images and archival materials, thereby bridging the gap between past and present.
METHOD 05
Practice-based research, action research, and interdependence
The theoretical underpinnings of my practice are realised through a commitment to practice-based and action research. Each photographic work and artistic installation is both a product and a testament to an ongoing inquiry. Action research provides a framework for cyclically planning, experimenting, reflecting, and adapting, thereby ensuring that each iteration builds on prior insights. This continual process is enriched by an emphasis on interdependence: I recognise the inherent value of collaborative dialogue between co-creators, subjects, and audiences. By fostering non-hierarchical relationships, the creative process becomes a collective endeavour where each participant's contribution transforms and refines the work's trajectory.
BIBLIOGRAHY.
Bruni, C. G. (Ed.). (1983). Pour la photographie: Actes du 1er colloque international pour la photographie, 23–24, 30–31 janvier 1982, Université Paris‑VIII. GERMS.
Didi‑Huberman, G. (2003). Invention of hysteria: Charcot and the photographic iconography of the Salpêtrière (A. Hartz, Trans.). MIT Press.
AI USE DISCLOSURE
I write a lot. In my own journals, for the pleasure of writing, and as a way to reflect on my thoughts and creative process.
Artificial intelligence tools were employed solely for linguistic refinement purposes, specifically, to assist with grammar correction and to enhance clarity of expression in English, which is my third language.
The use of such tools was limited to improving communicative precision and does not extend to the generation, development, or substantiation of ideas, arguments, analyses, or any intellectual content presented herein.
All original thought, reasoning, and creative contributions remain entirely my own.
AI assistance served exclusively as a language support mechanism, consistent with the ethical use of technological aids in academic writing.