It was Aasha Nimo's parents who encouraged her to pursue journalism (she has a communications degree from AUT) after noticing her passion for standing up for what she believed in. Her zines, Cocoa Butter and Lychee Romance, shine a light on diversity in New Zealand and also spotlight her colourful, upbeat aesthetic.
What inspired you to pick up a camera and which type do you shoot on?
After experiencing some interesting circumstances in my life, I've grown into a purposeful mindset of happiness that organically became the base of my inspiration. I'm lucky to see and envision everything as having the potential to be dreamy and beautiful, even the most mundane of things. I want to share that with my little film camera: a Pentax Espio 738s. I have dyscalculia which means digital camera settings are frustrating to use, so the simpler the camera the better.
Tell us about your zines, Lychee Romance! and Cocoa Butter Vol. 1?
I turned to zines as a way of introducing my simple portraiture style. There's an emphasis on both my aesthetic and an interest in diversity, driven by the lack of diverse people and subject matter on certain platforms. I just started producing small online zines two months ago so I'm a newbie at it, but thankfully there has already been some support of my first two.
Who would you most love to photograph?
Definitely Gyaru Harajuku girls or the crazy good Nigerian fashion scene/landscape.
What do you do for fun?
I have lots of creative energy so collaging is great, along with travelling and trying new interesting things.
What's the best thing about being young in New Zealand right now?
There are platforms for young people to speak out politically, which is dope, and once you find your groove in the creative climate, it's easier to make friends with like-minded people.
