Maori Artist Showcase: Photographer, Teneya Ngata

Ko Hikurangi me Whetumatarau ōku maunga
Ko Waiapu me Awatere ōku awa
Ko te whānau a Hinerupe, te whānau a Karuwai me te whānau a Tūwhakairiora ōku hapu
Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi

Hailing from Pōneke and Gisborne, Teneya has always admired the art of photography for as long as she could remember, pinning sheets to her bedroom walls as makeshift backdrops while her younger sisters model for her. “I have always been captivated and in awe of various styles of photography but the one thing that always caught my eye was portraits”

However, her dreams of becoming a photographer were dashed early on in childhood by her art teacher. “I will never forget the words that came out of her mouth "Oh Teneya, you'd be a useless photographer, look! you don't even know how to draw or paint properly”.

It wasn’t until she was older that she realised it was time to give her dream a chance, so she brought a camera, made contact with photographer’s she admired and learned everything she could and on the way discovering her ‘eye’ and style. “People, detail, character, love, sadness, happiness, culture - that is why I love doing what I do.
For Teneya photography is simply a part of who she is and always will be.
“It's important to me to be able to freeze moments in time and create memories. I do my best to just go with the flow when I shoot. I feel incredibly blessed to be doing something that I truly love”

Webpage: http://www.teneyangata.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teneya.tewhata/