About Alanah Brown

Buttery crayfish with vinegar, corn from the vege cart, and paua fritters made with Terry’s meat grinder. I preferred the crayfish legs and the meaty tail, whilst my Nana Nat slurped down every last brown bit and shook the leftovers on the ground. Naively, I thought everyone ate like this over summer on the East Coast.

Caravan days and Kingfish trips with Dad are gone but they have taught me to be adventurous. Motorbiking through rush hour in Vietnam, trading with locals for portraits, and trading cast-iron bathtubs for scrap metal to get to New York. Call it the Kiwi travel bug mixed with the Number 8 wire mindset. Iconic.

My gumboots are always on hand. Drop me into a paddock with the John Deere crew, and I’ll capture the grit and innovation of their work. Place me among Tangata Whenua and I’ll chase the perfect light to honour their taonga. I celebrate creative Kiwis from all over and work hard to bring creative campaigns to life across the motu like the new Sarjeant Gallery. Whether it’s industry, culture, or community, I'll find the heart and home in all things New Zealand.

I honour my upbringing in Gisborne, New Zealand. Passages of time and wholesome memories of childhood lead me home and move me forward.

My heart, my home—Taku Ngākau, Taku Kaingā.