BTS: Portrait Pop-Up, Sydney, Take Two
Photo Credit: Kieran Morrissey
Momentum for the MADE IN KIN Creative Directory is building – I can feel it.
It lives in my inbox, in the conversations unfolding with our community and future collaborators. It shows up in the comments on our Instagram and in our DMs, in the energy of the events we’ve hosted and the ones we’re planning next – from intimate gatherings to something much bigger quietly taking shape. And it’s here too, in these behind-the-scenes snapshots from our third round of portrait shoots in Sydney.
I’m quickly learning I can’t be everywhere at once. So while I couldn’t be there in person for this shoot, my community showed up for me. Jade D’Amico stepped behind the lens again, warm and steady as ever, supported by my husband Kieran, my sister Jasmine and her fiance Rhys. And to every creative who showed up – for themselves, for each other, and for something still unfolding.
Mariam Ella Arcilla
Writer • Curator • Events Organiser
Mariam is the powerhouse behind Magenta House in Redfern – a space that moves between home, studio and community hub. In just a few weeks, it will host our official MADE IN KIN launch lunch. Between frames, she casually mentioned heading straight home to prepare for a poetry and writing workshop that same afternoon.
Margaret Sevenjhazi
Food Creative
Living just a few doors down, Margey arrived alongside Mariam. A creative cook for our upcoming Sydney Launch Lunch, her depth in this space is immediately clear. She brought a “Good Morning” towel – a small but meaningful nod to hardworking Filipinos, herself included, an everyday object used to wipe away the sweat.
Richmond Kobla Dido
Photographer
Richmond entered with a burst of energy – charismatic, confident and dressed in a vintage football jersey that drew plenty of compliments. Film camera in hand, it didn’t take long for conversations to turn technical, with Richmond and Jade exchanging notes on cameras, film and the experience of photographing another photographer.
Nikki Malvar
Photographer • Writer
Just before the backdrop shift, Nikki arrived in her olive green suit, perfectly aligned with the fern-toned set. Mid-shoot, conversations unfolded around the state of creative industries in Australia and the tendency to follow trends rather than question them. The kind of discussion that lingers, and no doubt, one that will continue beyond the studio.
Ismat Awan
Culinary Creative
Ismat’s list of accomplishments across the culinary and creative worlds is long, yet her presence remains grounded and warm. She arrived with cinnamon scrolls in hand for the studio crew – a gesture that says everything about who she is. She’ll also be preparing treats for our upcoming Sydney Launch Lunch, and we couldn’t feel luckier.
Anna Hay
Photographer
As a photographer, you’d never know Anna is more accustomed to being behind the lens – she looks just as natural in front of it. Together with Jade, they captured both softness and strength – a reflection of her own photographic language. Not everyone can pull off a seated-on-the-floor shot (trust me, I’ve tried), but she makes it look effortless.
Oliver Reyes
Artist
Arriving with his partner Phoebe, Oliver brought a light, buoyant energy into the space. Fresh from a zine fair in the Blue Mountains, there was a clear sense of creative momentum that carried into the shoot. Jade quickly noted his kind face – something that translated effortlessly on screen, especially with his iPad in hand, a reflection of his practice.
Numa Sarker
Writer • Creative Strategy
Numa closed out the day with a magnetic presence – grounded, open and completely herself. Walking into the room and sensing its warmth, she joked she should have brought her habibi along to meet everyone. After her shoot, she was the first to message me, thanking me for creating a space “for us”. That says everything about what we’re building.
