Photographic Alchemist. Storykeeper. Explorer.

Rewa Rendall is a contemporary photographic artist based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. Working with 19th-century wet plate collodion techniques, Rewa blends the disciplines of analogue photography, Antarctic history, and storytelling to create timeless portraits and immersive experiences.

Her practice is grounded in place and legacy. Drawing from her own expedition across the Drake Passage to Antarctica, Rewa creates work that honours both the early pioneers of Antarctic exploration and those continuing their journey today. Her work is deeply connected to the historic Kinsey’s Den & Darkroom, the former Christchurch studio of Sir Joseph Kinsey—confidant and key supporter of Captain Robert Falcon Scott.

Rewa is the artist behind The Visitors Book, an evolving exhibition that breathes new life into Kinsey’s historic guest book, bridging generations through portraits, letters, and living memory. Her unique blend of handcrafted wet plate portraits and archival storytelling invites viewers to step beyond the frame and into a shared legacy.

Rewa’s portraits have captured writers, poets, conservationists, scientists, and technicians—each one a witness, each one a page in the ongoing story. Through her lens, she invites us to pause, reflect, and consider what it means to leave a mark.

Time ticks patiently…

Step inside Kinsey’s Den and Darkroom and experience the alchemy of legacy and light.