Geoffery Matautia, known as Southsides, prefers to keep a low profile, instead directing his focus towards capturing images of others.
Born in Samoa and raised in New Zealand, the 27 year old had somewhat of a delayed entry into photography, starting during his university years while pursuing a graphic design degree. He admits he could have started earlier but held back because he believed he needed a professional camera. Nonetheless, since buying and picking up a camera, he's developed an authentic, distinct style.
Community is a consistent theme in Geoffery's work and approach to photography. Everything he does aims to highlight, document, or serve the people and places he holds dear. One notable project was a series of photographs capturing people in his community in 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Geoffery used the series to ask the subjects what they were looking forward to when lockdowns were over. His first solo exhibition last year, "Family Portraits," was the artistic continuation of that lockdown project. Even for his latest project, a collaboration with JD Sports and Jordan brand, he used the opportunity to shine a light on members of his Pasifika community: musician Hales; artist Lini Rakoroi; and three siblings, Roman, Micah and Cypress, also known as the Cross Street Kids.
Geoffery doesn’t just use photos to serve his community; he's also the co-founder of the community group Period7. Formed in 2021 as a way for Geoffery and the other founders to connect with younger creatives in their community, the group aims to help these aspiring creatives by sharing resources, networks, and providing a space for them to share their experiences and struggles. As lockdowns finished and the group was allowed to meet in person, Period7 began hosting practical workshops. "I think that’s the coolest part, engaging with people but also giving a hand to the next generation of cool artists. Because they're way cooler than we were at like 15," he said.
Complex AU sat down with Geoffery ahead of the release of his JD Sports x Jordan brand campaign, now live, to discuss art, his aspirations, and the power of community.
How did you get into photography?
I did a bachelor's degree in graphic design, where photography skills were essential. Over time, I found myself gravitating towards photography. I didn't have a camera in high school and finally got one while I was at uni, so I took that time to play around with it and make it a hobby.
When did you begin to feel like photography could become a career for you?
I think when I started sharing my work on Instagram, and people began asking me to take photos of their brand—that's when I realized I could actually make money from this. But I never thought I’d do it full time.
How do you balance commercial work and passion projects?
Well, the core of my work consists of personal projects where I see myself as an artist, not just a photographer. That’s the work I love doing, and then commercial projects come from that. I'm very particular about who I work with and the platforms I give time to, because I feel close to the people who engage with my photography. With commercial work, I often try to adjust the briefs to relate back to my style, which includes a lot of Pacific and South Auckland references and people. If a client brief isn’t a fit, I'll try to mold it into something that does fit my style, or I just say no.
What project, client, or personal endeavor has been the most fulfilling or enjoyable to work on?
I did a series of portraits during lockdown in the summer of 2021, going into 2022. That project was born out of boredom and being at home—given the changing lockdown rules, I saw it as an opportunity to do something creative. What started as photographing my friends kind of blew up into people wanting to participate in this random lockdown photo project.
That was one of my favorites, just because of the community connection. With that summer as well, it was unclear how we would move forward in terms of lockdowns and stuff in New Zealand, so I wanted a more aspirational approach and talk to people about what they were looking forward to post-lockdown, as opposed to focusing on all the negative aspects present at that time.
How was your experience with your first solo exhibition, “Community Service: Family Portraits”?
It was great. I went into that project really confident—it was, in some ways, an extension of the front yard series I’d done in 2021. The theme of that project was 'community service,' specifically in relation to Pacific artists. Being a Pacific Islander, you might think of service as family or in a church. But one question I wanted to pose and answer was, "What does that service look like as a creative, as an artist?" For me, it was providing photos and capturing moments that the community really values—and took the form of family photos that people usually have to pay thousands of dollars for. Not everyone has disposable income for that, so it was cool to do.
Your work focuses heavily on human subjects. Do you think there’s something about people specifically that makes them a more compelling subject for a photograph?
I think for me it's more about the relationship between the photographer and the subject. It's about the whole process of engaging in those first points of contact and how you interact in person. And I feel like holding space is important as well when you're doing that.
It's always weird when you’re meeting someone for the first time and they’re taking a photo of you, so trying to build trust is super important when working with subjects. I just find that when photographing people, there's more depth because there are stories and that person’s own experiences that come with it—the photos are a reflection of that. Their environment also adds context, like with the front yard shoots I was observing things like, how do people like to keep their lawns? Are they wearing socks and slides or are they all dressed up? That adds a bit of context to the subjects too. I think that's why I enjoy photographing people.
Congratulations on shooting the JD Sports x Jordan brand campaign! What has it been like working with JD, and being behind the camera for such a huge campaign?
It's been great. I changed the initial brief around a bit because usually, they choose the talent, but I was like, "Have you guys seen my work?" So yeah, I adjusted the brief a bit to include more people from my community—local artists in particular. That's true to my platform—ensuring that they’re the people in front of the camera. But it's been great working [JD]. They allowed the process to be really talent-based and kept it true to everyone’s personal brand, which I think is really important.
What are your aspirations for the next few years? Where do you want things to go for you?
I wanna go back to the islands more. I just went back for a holiday in January and it was so great being there and capturing content there—I think it's the kind of place where I see myself being more.
Creatively I think I need to develop my work a bit more and go back to doing more personal projects. I did a lot of commercial stuff last year, which was good and paid the bills, but I think I need to balance that with the stuff that I love doing and the people I love working with. And this year I want to be even pickier with who I give my time to, so yeah.
You can shop the latest Jordan brand collection online and in store at JD Sports.
