Hendrix Hennessy-Ropiha (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa) is a Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington-based artist working with photography.
Hendrix’s practice often revolves around social and political issues in Aotearoa, a lot of his work is made in the Horowhenua region where he grew up. His ongoing series “We can travel only a short way together” uses photography as a way of exploring the invisibility of suicide discussion in Aotearoa.
Ahead of the upcoming exhibition at McLeavey Gallery, There is no twilight, which includes new works by Hendrix (as well as works by Les Cleveland), we spoke to him about his practice and experience taking photographs for this exhibition.
My understanding is that you came to photography following an injury that meant you were unable to skateboard for a period, can you tell us more about that? And a little about your journey/career with photography so far?
I got into photography through skateboarding, my friends were always a lot better than me so I ended up filming them and taking their photos. I went to uni thinking I was going to be a skate photographer until my tutor told me to stop shooting skating for his classes and to think more about what was important to me and what I wanted to say. That really changed my perspective on photography at the time and helped me to open up to a lot of artists' works that I think are really incredible.
Who are your greatest influences in photography, or otherwise?
That’s a hard one, the list of artists and works I like from in and outside of Aotearoa is never-ending but Joel Sternfeld and Paul Graham are two of my favourites I keep coming back to. Their images of seemingly normal places that hold hidden or invisible stories are something that I’m really interested in and influenced by. I’m also lucky to get a lot of help from my friends, whether it’s with talking through ideas and challenges or techniques, I’ve ended up with a group of people that have helped me a lot and I’m really appreciative of them.
Your subject matter has been quite varied and often quite challenging, how have you found what could feel like a change in approach?
I kind of feel like my approach hasn’t changed very much. Maybe how I’ve approached the environment in this new work is different and maybe it’s more speculative compared to some of my other projects but I think it still functions in a similar way. They’re not really about the buildings or the place itself but they’re about being open to seeing something else inside of the urban landscape.
When you started taking photos for this exhibition, was there a particular aspect of Wellington you wanted to capture?
I wasn’t really thinking about the physical city so much. For me the highrise buildings and glass and concrete structures were just something that allowed these momentary reflections of light to happen. I think they’re more about a place outside of the physical world that’s always present but not always considered or engaged with. These reflections are constantly moving and changing but if you’re open to seeing them they’re everywhere.
Hendrix graduated from Massey University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Design with Honours, First class honours in Photography.
Recent exhibitions include Community, Envy 6011, Wellington 2023, Kura Huna, Courtenay Place Light Boxes, Wellington, 2023, Residents Exhibition, Toi Poneke Arts Centre, Wellington, 2022, MĀ WAI RĀ: NEW MĀORI PHOTOBOOKS, Photospace, Wellington, 2022, Tilia, City Gallery Wellington, 2022, Young Artists 2021, Photospace Gallery, Wellington, 2021, Wuu2, Play_station, Wellington, 2021, Exposure, Massey University, Wellington, 2020, A Moment of Quiet, Photospace Gallery, Wellington, 2020.
There is no twilight will open at McLeavey Gallery on Wednesday 26 June and run until Saturday 20 July.