Photo Credit: Kieran Morrissey
New city, new faces and a whole new energy. While this marked our fifth portrait shoot for MADE IN KIN’s Creative Directory, Adelaide felt different in all the best ways. Our visit reminded me why taking our community to new places matters.
It was a long drive from Melbourne to the Adelaide Hills, with our colourful plastic chairs along for the ride. But the leafy surrounds of Stangate House & Garden made for a warm welcome. We traded our usual photography studio for an old parlour room, where photographer Zane Qureshi captured the creatives who joined us throughout the day.
What stayed with me most were the conversations in between. They made me realise just how spoilt we are in Melbourne and Sydney when it comes to creative communities that centre people of colour.
In Adelaide, that appetite for connection was unmistakable. Hearing how genuinely excited the creatives were to have MADE IN KIN in their city was all the encouragement I needed to keep taking our community further afield.
Lena Baumgartner
Artist
Lena arrived with her old school friend Catherine, the two huddled under an umbrella to escape the rain. Having admired Lena’s colourful artwork from afar, it was nice to finally meet the artist herself, whose warmth and personality were every bit as vibrant as her work. The two also squeezed in a few portraits together, a lovely little keepsake of their friendship.
Catherine Nguyen-Hoang
Artist
I’d only finished writing Catherine’s bio an hour before the shoot, so her story and poignant contemporary realist paintings were still fresh in my mind. I was glad to have the chance to tell her in person just how much I admired her work. With their portraits done, she and Lena settled in for tea and cake by the fireplace, a cosy way to spend a rainy Adelaide morning.
Doris Chang
Writer • Artist
Doris brought a fabulous pair of brown boots and was an absolute natural in front of the camera. We got talking about her recent exhibition, Infinite Dumplings, at Adelaide’s tiniest art gallery, Galerie Flaneur. I also got to thank her in person for previously contributing a piece to Diaspora Diary, and let her know I’d happily welcome more of her writing in the future.
Jude Galang
Founder of Farfrom Studios
Jude arrived with the kind of cool, easy swagger that comes with being your own boss. Already familiar with Zane, the two wasted no time getting down to business. That left us plenty of room to chat about Adelaide’s creative landscape, particularly how it compares to the east coast cities Jude once called home. Some valuable local insights I’ll certainly be taking with me.
Patwant Singh Malhans
Fashion Creative • Model • Writer
Dressed for the occasion in a jacket and tie, Patwant certainly knew his way around the camera, making Zane’s job look rather easy. His sharp sense of style also had me curious to learn more about his fashion project, Darzi. But there’s much more to Patwant than looking the part. After chatting with him, his genuine passion for his community was palpable.
Alyssa Powell-Ascura
Artist • Creative
After a few laughs over the correct pronunciation of Alyssa’s name (ah-LY-sah, not ah-LEE-sah), conversation flowed easily between us as two Filipinas. I’d first come to admire her work through her exhibition, Firstborn, which resonated with me as the eldest daughter in my own family. I told her I believed her best work was still ahead of her, and I meant every word.
Naina Redhu
Photographer • Artist
Usually the one giving directions behind the lens, Naina was more than happy to swap roles and let someone else take charge for a change. I couldn’t help but admire her barrel-leg jeans, which she’d hand-painted with colourful dots, along with one of her own ceramic brooches pinned to her top. I love it when creatives find little ways to wear their art, too.
Nicole Schoen
Actor • Producer
As an actor and producer, Nicole was right at home in front of the camera, with her outfit even complementing our brown and cream chairs. As a fellow Filipina, I especially admire her work championing greater Asian-Australian representation on screen, so having her take a seat in our little corner of the creative world felt particularly fitting.
Ayesha Aggarwal
Multidisciplinary Artist
Ayesha admitted to feeling nervous about having her portraits taken, but sometimes those are the people who end up with my favourite shots of the day, as was the case here. She brought along her beautiful sunflower rings and one of her own ceramic vases, both reflecting her love of colour and Indian heritage. Luckily, our marmalade backdrop also happened to be on brief.
Lara Day
Writer • Coach
There’s a calming presence about Lara, and that carried through to her portrait session. Afterwards, she shared some incredibly kind words about MADE IN KIN, and it was easy to see why she does what she does. She also gave me a sneak peek of her debut book, Abakada: The Language of Everything, which I can’t wait to devour when it’s released next year.
Maiko Sentina
Artist
I felt a kinship with Maiko almost immediately. Not just because she’d travelled from the Fleurieu Peninsula for her portraits, but also because of the conversations we’ve shared since. Her watercolour paintings feel wonderfully familiar, whether depicting portraits, still lifes or everyday objects, perhaps because so much of her work draws on childhood memories of the Philippines.
Roger Malu
Director • Photographer
Already a familiar face to Zane, Roger arrived looking effortlessly cool, suited and booted with a relaxed charm. He kindly stepped behind the camera to capture Zane’s portraits, giving me a chance to see him work his magic behind the lens, too. Afterwards, I told Roger his photography belonged in editorial shoots, and we got chatting about his love of working with landscapes.
Zane Qureshi
Photographer
Zane’s eye for photography is undeniable, but after spending an entire day working with him, it’s everything else that makes me excited about the career ahead of him. He’s patient with those new to the camera, generous with his creativity, and a reliable, passionate collaborator. He’s the real deal. I only wish I’d been this switched on in my early twenties.
Peter Francisco
Artist
Our final creative of the day was Peter, who arrived armed with painting supplies ahead of leading our Paint & Picnic workshop the following morning. I caught a flicker of disappointment when he noticed we’d swapped our marmalade backdrop for brown, so naturally, we switched it back. After all, Peter’s paintings and personality radiate playful colour, so it only felt right.
