In Conversation: Ophelia King

COMMUNITY

All imagery photographed on film at Blue Wine Bar by Ophelia King.

Long-time friend of Deadly Ponies, artist and Blue co-founder, Ophelia King has a way of finding beauty in the everyday. We spoke with Ophelia about her creative practice, motherhood, and her favourite neighbourhood spots.

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Your photography work always feels deeply observational and personal. What first drew you to photography and image-making?

“I think it was just instinct. I was given cameras as a kid, but I never really latched onto them in the way artists often talk about finding a medium. I have always been gravitationally pulled towards photographic works.

Image-based works feel like the truest form of observation because while the eye can interpret a moment and be selective about what it captures, the moment itself still has to exist, whether by construction or chance. I like that even when I am aware, considered, or hopeful about the photograph I am taking, I am often still surprised when it is developed. Sometimes they come out as I imagined, but more often than not they hold a space I hadn't planned for, and the imagined duds become the heroes.

The joy of film is the not knowing, like life. If we knew how it would all turn out, it wouldn't really be worth living, would it?”

Blue has become such a fixture within Auckland’s creative community. What do
you think people are really looking for from spaces now?

“Thank you! I think a lot of people are looking for a room they can immediately take a picture of on their phone, but whilst it's good for a space to be photogenic, I don't think that should be its only purpose. Mostly, I think people want a place where they can feel at ease, bump into their community, or not, and enjoy the ritual of a coffee or wine with familiar faces.

With Blue, we simply created a space we would want to spend time in ourselves, something we felt the city was missing.”

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What have you found yourself drawn to lately?

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Blue is not far from our Ponsonby Flagship store. What are your favourite spots in the neighbourhood?

“I make quite conscious decisions about where I spend my time and money because, as a small business owner, I understand the value of that on so many levels.

If I could spend a full day at Women's Bookshop every week, I think I could die happy — if only they had a few comfy chairs. At the other end of the spectrum, I still enjoy Paper Plus for the childhood nostalgia. For flowers, I love Bhana Brothers and Jairams Dairy. I admire the philosophy behind Public Record, and I always find something inspiring at Everyday Needs and Handcrafted Modern.

If I want a coffee and it's not at Blue, I'm usually at Juno. For dinner, I love grabbing Farina and taking it next door to Tinted Rose for a glass of wine. Watda, tucked away in the back of Ponsonby Central, is a favourite, and I'd happily eat Kane's food at Bare Wine any day of the week.”

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“If I ever stay out late — which is rare these days — I'd probably end up at Goblin. Every couple of years Karl and I find ourselves at the Ponsonby Pool Hall, and I love taking my daughter to Sushi Train in Three Lamps.

I'm not much of a shopper, if I'm honest, but Ruby makes the best trousers and I'd say 90% of mine come from there. I also love Wixii and Tatties — it's like 300 shops in one, and I enjoy the thrill of finding that one perfect piece amongst it all. For a little not-mum moment, Ohen is always a treat.

I love Objectspace, and I often fantasise about sitting at the top of Western Park with a beer in the sun."

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Your days move between creativity, Blue, and motherhood. What does that balance feel like lately?

“On good days, I feel really lucky to have a life peppered with so much variety. Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but usually something happens to put it all in perspective and gives me the chance to reset. These days, I can even sometimes give myself permission to reset before something has to happen.

Everything in my life feeds into everything else, and while that can feel noisy, I think it’s also intentional. I listened to a podcast recently that talked about the fallacy of balance — that things are almost never truly in balance. Instead, something simply requires more attention than something else in that moment, and then it flips and flops.

Maybe balance isn’t the most helpful word after all, and alignment is better. Honestly, that sentiment brought me a lot of comfort.”