This series of prints celebrate a group of adults with intellectual disabilities who call Hōhepa home. During their weekly photography sessions, they seek to portray what it means to live at Hōhepa, offering their perspective of the close connections, the joy that permeates and the uniquely special environment. Everyday moments are transformed into honest and immediate visual narratives – a way of seeing that is unencumbered and shaped instead by curiosity, intuition, and lived experience.

The group approaches each class by slowing down, observing their surroundings with intention, and looking closely at the details, rhythms, and relationships that shape their everyday lives. The process supports each artist to make their own choices about how they wish to represent where they live.

This approach fosters confidence and authorship, empowering participants to share perspectives that are often overlooked, yet deeply insightful and affirming. Challenging assumptions about authorship and creativity, these photos affirm photography as a tool for self-expression and connection, highlighting the importance of inclusive spaces where diverse voices can be seen and valued.

Images by: Henry King, Chris Farrow, Tash Eyles, Savanna Leigh, Lauren, Jaz Salter, Adam Buxton & Leanne Sowman

Charlotte Clements guides our group of aspiring photographers with intellectual disabilities through a process of consideration about art while learning the technical side of photography. She tells us what it is like to work alongside these inspirational budding artists

“I love that photography is art, but I also love that it is a way of seeing, a way for us to interpret our world. We don’t have to verbalise it, we can just show what we’re seeing, how we are thinking and how we interact with other people in the world around us. I love that it doesn’t always require a technical skill; we can just document. I’ve really noticed with this group that they have embodied taking photos and use this experience as a way to come into themselves. And deeply notice the world around them. It’s amazing to watch. As we have a dynamic and changeable group of people who participate each week, and only two cameras, which everyone shares, it is hard to determine who takes which photo. Each person in the group, on any given day, will take any number of photos of the same subject from slightly different angles. This allows for discussion and consideration on the subject, as well as confusion about who has taken what. Our solution is to allow the group as a whole to be credited for all photographs taken.”

The Photography artists can be seen on the artists page alongside the other Hōhepa artists.