Whakapapa through portraiture: Taaniko Nordstrom

Taaniko and Vienna Nordstrom of Soldiers Rd Photo: supplied

Former Air New Zealand cabin attendant Taaniko Nordstrom, and her sister-in-law Vienna Nordstrom, are the creative duo behind Soldiers Rd Portraits, a photography-based business they set up together in 2011.

Based in Cambridge, they dress their customers in Māori, Pasifika, Native American and First Nations' clothing and then photograph them to create a vintage-style portrait.

Soldiers Rd have taken this idea overseas to Australia, the US, Europe and India, and in 2016 started a project called Behind the Wire- Rangatahi ki Rangatira.

This social enterprise involves them taking portraits of inmates at the Te Ao Mārama Māori Focus Unit at Waikeria Prison in the Waikato as a means of re-connecting them with their cultural identity and whakapapa through portraiture.

Bobbi-Jo, Dyllan-Rae and Paige-Tayla, from Ngai Tuhoe and Ngati Kahungunu.

Māmā Pania

.Wahine toa Māmā Khamil, with her Tamariki

Puhi from Nga Puhi

Taaniko at Grand Central, NYC

Coco at Ruapuke

Eden-Rose Nordstrom representing all her cultures. Māori, Samoan and European

.A beautiful Filipino/Māori blended whanau

Vienna Nordstrom, co creator and photographer for Soldiers Rd. Ngati Porou and Samoan.

Taaniko Nordstrom, co-creator and stylist for Soldiers Rd. Ngati Hine, Ngati Kahungunu, Waikato-Tainui.

Siblings, Ashleigh and Ethan from Ngati Toa.

Zjanna Marsh, Te URI O Tai, Te Aupouri/Te Rarawa. Ngati Rangi/Ngati Hou, Nga Puhi. Croatian, Scottish, French.

Wineera Te Kanae Davey, Ngati Toa, Ngāti Porou, Ngati Mahuta.