Artist’s statement
Near the end of 1993, my family moved from Whanganui to Auckland. Before the final move, my father would commute between the two cities. During the time that he was in Auckland, my mother and I would visit him at his company's office in Newmarket. As a 12-year-old from a small regional city, visiting the “Big Smoke” was like an overseas trip. I quickly became accustomed to the faster pace of Newmarket while learning how to venture further into Auckland's CBD. This helped ease any apprehension about leaving Whanganui.
However, when my family made the final move, it felt as though I had moved a second time, as we settled in the eastern suburb of Pakuranga, which was not the Auckland I had come to know. Even though it is only 22 kilometres northeast of Auckland City, its colonial foundations could be felt, and it did not have the same urban character as the central suburbs. As a result, I spent my teenage and early adult years with very little interest in the suburb that had become my home.
Later, as urban sprawl intensified and my photographic practice shifted toward documenting time and place, my interest in producing photographic works in the increasingly unsettled suburbs of Howick and Pakuranga began to develop. I became intrigued not only by documenting the current changes occurring there, but also by rediscovering and finding new landscapes that I had overlooked over the past decades.
About the artist
Brendan Kitto's photography is a bridge between the visual and the conceptual, offering a window into the intertwined stories of time, place, social commentary, and human connection. His images provoke thought, stir emotions, and remind us that within the urban sprawl and the natural serenity, there are stories waiting to be told. Through his lens, Brendan captures the essence of the world we live in, encouraging us to explore the deeper layers of our surroundings and our shared human experiences.