Auckland's festival of photographic excellence unearths talent that's been hidden for more than 30 years, writes Rebecca Blithe.
It's 1979. The closing of the decade in which Split Enz rose to fame, Bastion Pt was the site of protests, and a promising young photographer, Sunil Azariah, was capturing it all.
For 21-year-old Sunil, his images indicated the beginning of a promising career as a photographer. But his life was cut short when, visiting friends in Melbourne, he was killed in a car accident.
"The police sergeant said to us he was on the passenger side, and the driver walked away," says his mother, Tulsi Azariah, as she pulls freshly framed images of Tim Finn, Stevie Nicks and Mark Hunter from a box in an upstairs bedroom of her Remuera home.
Shortly after Sunil's death, renowned New Zealand photographer Brian Brake asked Ms Azariah if he could exhibit her son's work. Brake had discovered Sunil's skills as a printer when he was working for Viko, the photo-processing company.
"Brian Brake was quite impressed. He'd always ask for Sunil, apparently," says Ms Azariah.
In a 1980 edition of Photo and Audio, Brake described Sunil as an extremely hard worker. "It was a tragedy. He was a marvellous printer, very keen, very dedicated."
But Ms Azariah wasn't ready for the request to show Sunil's work. "When Sunil died, he [Brake] came to see me. At the time, I wasn't with it. I was right out."
Thirty years later, she has decided it's time. On the dining table of her small home lie pictures of Parnell, night shots of the railway station and a still-standing block of flats bearing the name "Burleigh" across its frontage.
"He took quite a few night shots in Parnell. This is his girlfriend in the pizza parlour at night. He was into it in a big way. I didn't know how serious he was about it until later," says Ms Azariah.
She describes her son as a gentle person, a bright boy who could have done anything he wanted, a "live wire".
"He was always doing something. He wanted to set up a printing enterprise at high school. So he set one up with four friends, it was called Lazcott.
"I got in touch with one of those boys. He told me it was like an emotional blast from the past. He said he still talks about Sunil."
The collection of around 40 of Sunil's pictures, including the self-portrait he gave his mother, will be displayed next month in Auckland's photographic festival. Ms Azariah has worked closely with Ron Brownson, senior curator at the Auckland Art Gallery, to compile Sunil's work.
"Sunil was an incredibly talented young photographer who had an intuitive ability to work on location," says Mr Brownson. "His photographs of musicians are outstanding."
Into the light
Sunil Azariah's work will be exhibited in the Auckland Festival of Photography at Auckland Harbour Board Gallery, Aotea Centre, June 4-25. Info: www.photographyfestival.org.nz
Never too late to shine
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