Mothers
A photo essay of 10 Avondale mums and their stories about motherhood, beautifully captured by Abhi Chinniah. This project was a collaboration between ex-Avondale College student Abhi and I Love Avondale. The images were installed on our Great North Gallery to coincide with Mother’s Day 2023 and on our social media as a People of Avondale spinoff. Click each image below to read their full stories.
Bailey Wiley: "The words that come to mind when I think about motherhood are love, sacrifice, patience, fatigue, growth, purpose and reason. It is overwhelming but, at the same time, rewarding. Motherhood is a privilege and means the world to me."
Catalina Casorzo: "Over the years, I've enjoyed witnessing our relationship becoming more mature. As we both grew as people, our connection only strengthened. As a daughter, I saw myself shift from rebellious to more understanding and grateful to my mother. For mamá, I think she has become more open with me as I've gotten older. This openness is something I appreciate."
Ann Way: "Manuka and I share a strong bond. She once told me, 'My heart is too small to love the world'. What she said stuck with me because I know as this magnificent girl grows, so too will her heart, and in her heart, she will find the space to hold all the love in the world."
Pusi Urale: "Motherhood means nurturing to me and experiencing new ideas in life. I encouraged my children to go flatting early to get life experience, gain independence, and hopefully find their own place and belonging in the world. Nowadays, I encourage young people to be passionate and try new things."
Lucy Matene: "My mother always said to me that the thing she wanted most for us was happiness. That really resonates with me now. I want my daughter to be happy and confident in her choices and have the skills to deal with the troubles that life will undoubtedly bring. I want her to have a community around her that supports and uplifts her, and I hope that she will do the same for others."
Pania Taka-Brown: "My hope for my daughters is that they live authentic, long, happy and healthy lives. I hope they take the time to make memories with whānau and friends. I want them to live proudly as Māori here in Aotearoa and abroad."
Szening Ooi: "Avondale is the most welcoming neighbourhood I’ve ever lived in, and I’m thankful to be able to build a life here. The longer we live here, the more my memories of Avondale will intertwine with my memories of being a mother. Seeing my child grow up here alongside his peers, my biggest hope is that they get to enjoy a good life and are joyful and secure in who they are. This neighbourhood has nourished generations and will continue to nourish more. Our diversity is our strength as we step in this new phase of transformation."
Maria Conaghan: "Being a young mother certainly came with challenges and the inexperiences of life, which sometimes resulted in my making mistakes and choices that were perhaps not the most ideal for my son and daughter. However, as I had been privileged enough to inherit great paternal love and beautiful values from my parents, my children also had this infinite love, empathy, strength and support which carried on through their childhoods and is being passed on to my mokopuna throughout their developing years."
Michelle Ardern: "In two words, I would define my relationship with my mother as 'open' and 'nurturing'. Our relationship has shifted over the years as it tends to when a child transitions into an adult. And you know, Mum was Mum. I took her presence for granted. Nowadays, we talk more honestly and give one another space away from all the surface banter and other general news that essentially made up our conversations. It is good to know how she is feeling in her heart."
Simone Tetevano: "My hope for my daughters is that they grow up unapologetically knowing and understanding where we come from. I want them to know the strong line of women who have come before them and represent them. I want them to live in every moment and be grateful for every day they have on this earth. I hope they laugh as loud as they want, love just as hard, and, whatever it is they choose to be later in life, that they stand firm in their self-belief and inspire others around them."
The overarching theme of this photo essay is motherhood. Within this body of work sits the mother-daughter relationship. As a self-proclaimed daddy's girl, many of my heralding moments have been with or involving my papa. Only after living away from my parents for 13 years did I begin to understand how much I had taken my mother for granted. 8,891 km separates us, but she is always close to me, for I am my mother in many ways.
The word motherhood may sound singular on the tongue, but there is not just one definition. When I think of the word, I look to my mother's journey of raising two girls who were a decade apart. I see her difficult path of trying to find a place of belonging in 80s Christchurch while also meeting the expectations of a women’s role at the time. I think of my mother being a soundboard for all my life turmoil, only becoming more poignant as I get older. Was she okay? I wish I had asked - I do now. I say thank you. I cherish, I value, and I love my amma. I also see the word motherhood shifting in meaning for me as my journey to its experience becomes clearer.
As I started meeting and photographing the families you'll see in these portraits, I became very aware of the lifelines entwined into Avondale. Generations of families have walked the paths of this land, creating an intricate web of stories, lifetimes and legacies. I enjoyed witnessing the anchor Avondale has provided to the families that inhabit this space. Every inch of this place is alive and drips history. Avondale is more than a suburb or neighbourhood; it is home to opportunity and connection while being a thriving hub of diverse heritage and culture. What a beautiful place to call home.
To the mothers that I had the honour of photographing. Thank you for letting me into your lives and not only showing me but sharing with me your definition of motherhood. Our time together may have been brief, but so much story is written when you look into my lens. Through you, I have seen strength, power, kindness, dedication, courage and, most of all, love.
You have given me more than you know,