KIA ORANA, MY NAME IS ALEXANDRA MOANA KING.
I am a Polynesian and Maori photographer. I was born in Opotiki on the East Coast of Aotearoa(New Zealand) where my mothers family and tribes(iwi) descend through Whakatohea, Ngai Tuhoe and Ngati Porou.
My Marae(sacred meeting grounds) are Kutarere Marae, Omaramutu Marae and Opape Marae.
However since birth, I was raised in Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands where my father comes from. Our families descend from the islands of Mangaia and Rarotonga and our tribe and Vaka is Uritaua, which in history descended from Hawa'ii. Our hapu is Ngati Putua.
I have been on my photography journey for the past 10 years. Specialising in portrait photography, photo documentary, storytelling and wedding photography, I have photographed clients from around the world and learnt how to craft emotional stories through this photographic journey.
I am self taught and I've never studied photography. As an indigenous woman, visual storytelling and photography has come naturally to me and has played a huge role in my life as a powerful healing tool. I am also a mother of one daughter who is 8 years old, and she too has taught me valuable lessons. Her name is Zulay, which derives from the Persian "Zulaykha" meaning brilliant one, heavens and well born-into power. She is a beacon of light and brings so much inspiration and driving force to my work.
Over the last few years through my photography and storytelling work, I have reconnected to my culture and community and I have landed in a niche market here, re creating and re imagining our narratives as indigenous and Polynesian people. I try to use my privileges to bring about an impactful, powerful and positive change to my communities and challenge the world view on who we are within our cultural identities and traditional practices.
I am a proud indigenous wahine(woman) visual artist and storyteller and this has been my decade long journey of re discovering, reclamation and re creating myself and the vision of our people through photography and storytelling.
