Whanganui photographer Samantha Matthews has found an unlikely sense of freedom in the busy streets of the city, using her camera to explore the everyday details that often go unnoticed. No Parking follows Matthews’ journey from her downtown apartment to her studio in the CBD, capturing quiet moments and overlooked spaces along the way. Growing up on a farm outside Whanganui, Matthews found the urban environment unfamiliar. Photography became a way to navigate the city on her own terms, finding moments of calm amid the activity around her. “I find the camera gives me permission to experience a place. Acting like a safety barrier for the world, so I can move through it.”

The exhibition features 12 archival pigment prints on Hahnemühle Photo Rag alongside a catalogue of 55 images documenting the full series. Each work is limited to an edition of five and framed to museum-quality conservation standards. Matthews’ work has recently gained national attention, with her photographs documenting Fordell’s historic Lamb Hill Homestead included in Slow Burn: Women and Photography / Ahi Tāmau: Māreikura Whakaahua at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. She is also one of six artists selected for Ināianei | Current showing at Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery.