ESTHER BUNNING

My landscape art has an organic, dreamlike twist that draws the viewer in to a blurred reality, that touches on nostalgia and reflective of a past era, with a unique and contemporary eye. The Aotearoa landscape silk work is an exploration and organic unravelling of the physical and invisible threads that bind us to the land. The process and the images reflect the continuous shift of New Zealand terrain, and the movement of earth of under our feet. Working with my origination images, often double exposures, I’ve printed these on silk and linens and rephotographed in an organic state again in the landscape to show the texture and the threads of the fabric.

I’m thrilled to present these as ‘silk’ stories, and as limited edition artworks.

See SHOP for ordering and purchasing

https://www.estherbunning.com/shop

I’m a firm believer in surrounding ourselves with things that bring us joy, and this is a significant reason I do what I do. How better to cherish the people we love and have loved, than on our walls in our homes.

Personal generational treasures from past generations hold immense sentimental value and serve as cherished connections to our family histories. These artifacts, be it heirlooms, photographs, or handwritten letters, possess a unique power to transport us to bygone eras, offering glimpses into the lives of our ancestors. I can create artworks of these treasures, sensitively and creatively, transforming them into unique artworks that can be enjoyed daily rather than hidden away in forgotten drawers and wrapped in tissue.

My creative vision enables me to go beyond mere documentation, elevating these artifacts to the status of art. And by transforming these treasures into unique artworks, this allows us to incorporate them seamlessly into our daily lives. Instead of remaining tucked away, they become centerpieces that grace our living spaces, serving as constant reminders of our roots and the stories that have shaped us - and artpieces that then all members of a family can treasure. These artworks act as daily affirmations of our heritage, fostering a deeper appreciation for our family's legacy - on our walls, bringing us joy on a daily basis.

Email me… I’d love to talk to you about your vision.

esther@estherbunning.com

Esther has won many awards for her work, both in New Zealand, and internationally.

To date in 2023, she has won the NZIPP Creative Photographer of the Year, and is a finalist for the Waikato Museum National Contemporary Art Award (exhibition current till November 2023).

She also won the Curator’s award at the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts Matariki Exhibition, July 2023.

'Real beauty is to be true to oneself'...

Esther Bunning creates photographs that are truly one of a kind and deeply woven with the threads of storytelling, capturing the unique inner light of her subjects, especially women. Her passion for storytelling brings their journeys to life, crafting intimate, powerful images that honor life’s pivotal moments.

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What are you proud of, what are your strengths and what is your story..? Being strong means so many things - physical, mental and more. It’s the small wins, the large efforts, your achievements, and everything in between. It’s overcoming adversity, it’s sharing vulnerabilities, and coming through the other side.

What does it meant to you..?

And I totally get it. And this isn’t what society says about beauty - this is your story, your individuality. In breathtaking and emotive images.

Your vision, my creativity, combined. My gentle unobtrusive guidance and my years of experience of helping women, and men, feel empowered in front of the camera.

Be brave. Go on. Do it for you. Photographs with heart, story, and that celebrates who you are. A work of art that you’ll be proud to have on your wall as art prints. Something that reflects your inner spirit, your strong character, your vulnerability… and that reflects who you are.

I’d love to discuss your vision…

CREATIVE FAMILY PORTRAITURE

I love the word ‘Kindred’. The definition explains this as ‘similar in kind; related.’ I love that it’s broad and all-encompassing, reflecting our often complex and varied family connections, and at its core, it’s about shared love and stories.

My inspiration comes from the people, the children, and the families I photograph. If possible, I love working in people’s spaces or places of relevance. This is your story.

My gentle interaction and direction help create beautiful, emotive and contemporary images that capture your spirit and are a reflection of who you are. Whether it’s teens and ‘coming of age’, or blended family, children, our grandparents, or incorporating pets and fur babies too - I love to keep it loose, expressive and make it relaxed and enjoyable…it’s not about the camera. It’s capturing your connection.

My new body of work, the popular Wāhine - Solitude’ in the landscape series’ reflects the meaning also of the Welsh word Hiraeth: I love this word. At it’s core, it’s a spiritual longing for a home which maybe never was. Nostalgia for ancient places to which we cannot return. It is the echo of the lost places of our soul's past and our grief for them. It is in the wind, and the rocks, and the waves. It is nowhere and it is everywhere.‘

The landscapes are familiar but unspecific. We recognise them but they could be many places within aotearoa. And whether our interpretation of ‘Wāhine is spiritual or earthly, the wāhine series personifies the deep connection we all share with the landscape around us. She is each of us, she is all of us.

I’m excited to present these as mixed media on linen.

See SHOP for ordering and purchasing.

NOTE: the first Wāhine Solitude #1 : 600x600mm is now SOLD out in this edition.

Email me for more information and to find out what is available as these are in a continual creating stage at present.

esther@estherbunning.com

I was awarded the NZ Pacific Studio/ANZAC Bridge Fellowship for 2020/2021 to reflect the history around the ANZAC Memorial Bridge at Kaiparoro, Eketahuna - and in particular the horses and the riflemen that went to war.

I was priveleged to photograph the ANZAC Mounted Troopers – Les Chevaliers from Eketāhuna and Amuri Mounted Rifles Troop from the ANZAC Mounts Charitable Trust, Equine Rehab Unit, from North Canterbury – who rode in formation from Eketāhuna to the ANZAC Memorial Bridge on Armistice Day 2020. The flags are unique, bespoke and reflect the movement and energy of the horses that went to war, an integral part of our NZ heritage.

The flags flew across Wairarapa towns for ANZAC day 2021. The entire collection of flags will be exhibited at Waiouru Army Museum from April 2022.

These won a GOLD award from the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography in 2021 for the collection of these flags. I’m thrilled to have Aratoi Museum of Art & History include the main bridge flag as part of their permanent art collection.

They are currently being exhibited at the Waiouru Army Museum.

https://www.estherbunning.com/anzac-collection

Solo Exhibition at Aratoi Museum of Art & History, Wairarapa

20 November 2021 - 7 February 2022.

Phosphenes are the luminous floating stars, zigzags, swirls, spirals, squiggles, and other shapes that you see when closing your eyes tight and pressing them with your fingers.

The word ‘phosphene’ comes from the Greek words phōs (light) and phainein (to show).

The Phosphene images were taken early in May 2021. We packed a picnic lunch despite the wintery conditions and spent many hours taking photographs in the Kaitoke Regional Park. We came across a lake area that had an overhanging tree and was dotted with autumn leaves. It was truly extraordinary when – in front of my eyes and camera lens - the scene continuously morphed and changed as the breeze flurried across the water. The patterns continuously changed and re-arranged themselves into abstracts, geometrics, moiré patterns, and mosaics while I 'clicked' the camera.

I had never seen anything like this before - and while I consider I was in the right place at the right time with the right equipment, the resulting images are extraordinary and as shot in camera. Metaphorically speaking, the Phosphene imagery reflects how our view of life can change instantly. The origination pieces show how the patterns on the water morphed so quickly into vastly different landscapes, as is evident in the camera meta-data used as titles for the work.

I enjoyed further exploration of these images on silk, as montages and double exposures with a model/as a garment and surface pattern textiles/embroidery. This discovery in areas I am passionate about brings me in a full circle to my background in textile design, as well as embracing the newer technologies enabling photographic printing on natural fibres. It is also a natural extension of my NZ Pacific Studio ANZAC Bridge Fellowship flags 2020/21.

This is the story of Catherine Daniels’ childhood trauma and sexual abuse portrayed through metaphors and sculptures of ‘her girls’.. It wasn’t until she was nearly 50 that she realised her secrets made her unwell. A meeting with author, Joan Rosier-Jones, changed her life forever. She started to unfold the layers of her history through words, many of them in a metaphorical form. She joined a writers’ group which supported her in her journey through the complexities of understanding her own mental health issues.

One day she couldn’t write, so decided to make a sculpture to portray what she couldn’t say in words. That day The Secret Keeper was born.

By creating these sculptures and metaphors, she slowly unfolded her past in a way she was able to control. Each of the forty sculptures tells its own story. Through her works, Catherine Daniels hopes to start the important conversations needed to help others navigate their own journeys of healing through childhood trauma, parental neglect, sexual abuse, and mental health issues.

I have been privileged to create an individual portrait of Catherine’s girls emotively and in my signature style, to add another layer of humanity to Catherine’s story, her book, and exhibitions.

In 2021, The Secret Keeper book won the highest scoring award ever given at the NZIPP IRIS awards in the history of the awards. A perfect score of 100/100.

The work also won an honourable mention, and a coveted top 5 ‘jurors choice’ award at the IPA International Photography Awards in 2021.

A small town dance project that grew wings of it’s own..

My first collaboration with creative genius Justine Kingdon. I photographed the dancers from Justine’s show ‘When the Poet dreamed an angel’, inspired by Justine’s description of how she was going to flood the stage with angels, but not the conventional kind. More, the personal interpretation of what an angel meant to them personally.

I played with double exposure in camera - two simple images. All the images were photographed using natural light in my studio. The mood, an interpretation and reflection of the angels they played.

Two additional texture layers were added to some, in post production.

Many of these images have resulted in awards, and the self published book received a Silver award at the Australian AIPP national awards in 2016.

Children and young people can come out with the most magical, often whimsical comments about what they love, what they enjoy - what they’re passionate about at a particular age. These statements or comments often give me goose bumps and take on a direction that I can conceptualise; an insight into that child's world, right now.

Making it happen - creating their whimsy, their creative dream - is a collaborate process and they can be involved every step of the way. Seeing their response, and their loved ones’ response, to the photographs created is truly magic.

This is unique children portraiture that reflects who they are at the age they are now. Does your child have a dream? Show them you believe in them, and put beautiful personalised, emotive art on your walls - images that will become heirlooms and reflect their personal legacy.