Tinaku is a Te Reo Māori word meaning to germinate or sprout.

In this series I photograph sprouting kūmara so they look as if they are floating, reaching towards the sun.

To me, the sprouting kūmara is a picture of how Māori culture and language are growing again in Aotearoa. Both need light to thrive, and so does photography.

When I arrived in New Zealand in 2000, Māori culture mostly seemed to sit in museums and tourist attractions.

Since then I have watched it return to everyday life. I am tauiwi, an immigrant, and I make this work with deep respect for that revival.

I also see the kūmara's journey across the Pacific as a story of whakapapa, passed down through generations.