Wonderland, Wainuiomata, New Zealand, 2025.
I discovered Wonderland on my first trip to New Zealand in 2017. Wandering through stacks of CDs and records, I felt transported back to my years in Hong Kong. But here, in the small town of Wainuiomata, space constraints weren’t the issue—these media-filled walls belonged to an overflowing collector’s den. Behind the counter, the owner bickered with a customer over the nonexistence of a “Black Metal” section.
On this visit in 2024, assured by my partner that he’d be back soon, I waited in a former police wagon, its interior tinged with a faint smell of vinegar. With my toddler asleep in the back, I ate what was quite possibly the best fish and chips I’d ever had, picked up from a neighboring venue where the distant aroma of Chinese food lingered in the air.
An hour later, my partner returned, full of apologies and a story. The same shop owner had hesitated to part with a bootleg CD recording of Michael Jackson’s 1996 concert in Auckland—my partner’s first concert. A deal nearly undone by the quiet understanding between collectors, a shared sense of value that made certain items almost impossible to part with. But in the end, my partner walked away with the CD in hand.
As we pulled away, I asked, “So… is there a Black Metal section yet?”
Edition of 50 prints.
This is an archival print of an original digital illustration by Jade Richards-Butler.
Each print is numbered and signed by the artist.
It is printed on Hanuhemule Photo Rag paper.
Please allow a week turnaround for dispatch.
Use code FREESHIPPING for free shipping on orders over $150
I discovered Wonderland on my first trip to New Zealand in 2017. Wandering through stacks of CDs and records, I felt transported back to my years in Hong Kong. But here, in the small town of Wainuiomata, space constraints weren’t the issue—these media-filled walls belonged to an overflowing collector’s den. Behind the counter, the owner bickered with a customer over the nonexistence of a “Black Metal” section.
On this visit in 2024, assured by my partner that he’d be back soon, I waited in a former police wagon, its interior tinged with a faint smell of vinegar. With my toddler asleep in the back, I ate what was quite possibly the best fish and chips I’d ever had, picked up from a neighboring venue where the distant aroma of Chinese food lingered in the air.
An hour later, my partner returned, full of apologies and a story. The same shop owner had hesitated to part with a bootleg CD recording of Michael Jackson’s 1996 concert in Auckland—my partner’s first concert. A deal nearly undone by the quiet understanding between collectors, a shared sense of value that made certain items almost impossible to part with. But in the end, my partner walked away with the CD in hand.
As we pulled away, I asked, “So… is there a Black Metal section yet?”
Edition of 50 prints.
This is an archival print of an original digital illustration by Jade Richards-Butler.
Each print is numbered and signed by the artist.
It is printed on Hanuhemule Photo Rag paper.
Please allow a week turnaround for dispatch.
Use code FREESHIPPING for free shipping on orders over $150
I discovered Wonderland on my first trip to New Zealand in 2017. Wandering through stacks of CDs and records, I felt transported back to my years in Hong Kong. But here, in the small town of Wainuiomata, space constraints weren’t the issue—these media-filled walls belonged to an overflowing collector’s den. Behind the counter, the owner bickered with a customer over the nonexistence of a “Black Metal” section.
On this visit in 2024, assured by my partner that he’d be back soon, I waited in a former police wagon, its interior tinged with a faint smell of vinegar. With my toddler asleep in the back, I ate what was quite possibly the best fish and chips I’d ever had, picked up from a neighboring venue where the distant aroma of Chinese food lingered in the air.
An hour later, my partner returned, full of apologies and a story. The same shop owner had hesitated to part with a bootleg CD recording of Michael Jackson’s 1996 concert in Auckland—my partner’s first concert. A deal nearly undone by the quiet understanding between collectors, a shared sense of value that made certain items almost impossible to part with. But in the end, my partner walked away with the CD in hand.
As we pulled away, I asked, “So… is there a Black Metal section yet?”
Edition of 50 prints.
This is an archival print of an original digital illustration by Jade Richards-Butler.
Each print is numbered and signed by the artist.
It is printed on Hanuhemule Photo Rag paper.
Please allow a week turnaround for dispatch.
Use code FREESHIPPING for free shipping on orders over $150