Breaking stigma in Pukekohe North
Raemon Matene wants to display the light in ‘‘the dark side’’ of Pukekohe, with her photography exhibition
The solo mum of three has lived in Pukekohe North for more than 20 years and has captured some of the talent that highlights the positivity she has seen in the community, which Matene believes has an unwarranted stigma surrounding it.
‘‘These photos were about exposing the talent in Pukekohe North because...there’s the stigma that follows the dark side,’’ she said.
Part of what sparked the exhibition was when she saw a poster for the Pukekohe North Policing Unit in a Work and Income office outlining their boundary.
‘‘I don’t think there’s any other area [that] has a policing unit, in Franklin as a whole,’’ Matene said.
‘‘You always have a hood in every community and ours seems to be it.’’
Te Raki is short for Te Raki o¯ Pukekohe which translates to Pukekohe North, and is Matene’s first exhibition.
The exhibition is open and will be on display until June 30 in the Steel Gallery at Franklin: The Centre.
Matene was always intrigued by photography so studied a course at the Manukau Institute of Technology. As a single mum it was a struggle, but it was worth it.
‘‘It was really time consuming, but you just have to make time. It was a lot of late nights.’’
Matene had worked on the exhibition for a year, and hoped it would bring more positivity to the community.
‘‘I really wanted this to be a positive thing, especially for Pukekohe North.’’
Matene wanted her exhibition to inspire Ma¯ori in the community to express their creativity and showcase the talent in the area.
‘‘I just hope they love what they see and if anything, inspire them or encourage them to tap into this side of things.’’