{"id":83291,"date":"2020-02-18T18:14:03","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T18:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/?p=83291"},"modified":"2020-02-19T09:40:29","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T09:40:29","slug":"renell-medrano-personal-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"“Beauty in everything”: the deeply personal photography of Renell Medrano"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83294,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11856,139],"tags":[14971,8026,14969,11799,14970,14973,3663,6611,3128,14972,495,4985,14976,14975,1191,680,14974,14968,1708,5443],"class_list":["post-83291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sleek-art","category-art","tag-aap-ferg","tag-black-art","tag-black-britain","tag-blood-orange","tag-bronx","tag-chaka-khan","tag-dev-hynes","tag-film-photography","tag-gucci","tag-h-e-r","tag-jimmy-choo","tag-liz-johnson-artur","tag-megan-thee-stallion","tag-milk-gallery","tag-new-york-city","tag-nike","tag-peluca","tag-point-and-shoot","tag-tumblr","tag-william-eggleston"],"acf":{"main_category":139,"legacy":false,"exclude_from_ads":[],"hero_title":"","subtitle":"The 27-year-old Bronx photographer is synching the worlds of art and fashion, exploring her subjects\u2019 vitality and flaws\u2014By Gem Fletcher","hero":{"video":false,"image":false,"header_color":"black","overlay_color":"","overlay_text_color":"black"},"teasers":{"video":false,"image":{"ID":83294,"id":83294,"title":"6. 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Untitled","filename":"6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","filesize":399206,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/6-untitled\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"6-untitled","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":83291,"date":"2020-02-18 15:24:27","modified":"2020-02-18 18:00:48","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1440,"height":1920,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","thumbnail-width":72,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","medium-width":1440,"medium-height":1920,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","medium_large-width":1440,"medium_large-height":1920,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","large-width":1440,"large-height":1920,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","1536x1536-width":1152,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","2048x2048-width":1440,"2048x2048-height":1920,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":9,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/6.-Untitled-e1582039639691.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1440,"wpvr_mobile-height":1920}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Renell Medrano, 'Untitled', 2019. Courtesy of the artist"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"
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Photography is Renell Medrano\u2019s<\/a> primary mode of communication and has been since she was 14. \u201cHonestly, photography has been everything I wanted to do since I was a kid. I use to steal my mom\u2019s point-and-shoot and take it to school to document my friends. I just felt like that was my voice.\u201d Now, at 27, the medium is her way of responding to the world. Blurring the lines between documentary and fashion, she\u2019s using photography to connect, celebrate and rework the power dynamics in popular culture.<\/p>\n

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Medrano\u2019s work is deeply personal. Informed by the people and places that have shaped her life, both past and present, she blends her unique take on beauty with real-life circumstances. The textural quality of her photographs recalls the loving gaze of Liz Johnson Artur\u2019s Nineties documentation of black Britain, and the colour play of William Eggleston. Unlike her peers, she\u2019s not interested in limiting her vision to the highlights reel. Flaws and imperfections inspire her. She\u2019s thinking about spaces, intimacy and vulnerability \u2013 the stylings are secondary. Her truly unique work serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of telling our own stories.<\/p>\n

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Finding fame in an era of digital democratisation was a game-changer for Medrano, who has been publishing her work on Tumblr for years. \u201cAfter graduating, I had that hunger and drive in me, so I just hustled. I would post my work all the time. Sharing to get the word out and have people see my work. In some ways, it was perfect timing for me. When everything started switching up, you could make your Instagram your entire portfolio.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":83293,"id":83293,"title":"5. Untitled","filename":"5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","filesize":582433,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/5-untitled\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"5-untitled","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":83291,"date":"2020-02-18 15:23:51","modified":"2020-02-18 18:00:57","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1273,"height":1920,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","thumbnail-width":64,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","medium-width":1273,"medium-height":1920,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","medium_large-width":1273,"medium_large-height":1920,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","large-width":1273,"large-height":1920,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","1536x1536-width":1018,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","2048x2048-width":1273,"2048x2048-height":1920,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":8,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5.-Untitled-e1582039656371.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1273,"wpvr_mobile-height":1920}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Renell Medrano, 'Untitled', 2018. Courtesy of the artist. "}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"

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Medrano is part of a new generation of young black image-makers who create photos that straddle art and fashion with a broader set of intentions. Moving away from the traditional pursuit of glamour, they are telling stories of social and political inclusivity, advocating for a wider celebration of beauty and the self \u2013 a powerful antidote for a group previously marginalised in mainstream fashion and culture. \u201cI don\u2019t want us to get put in a category. It\u2019s easy for publications and brands to now be like, \u2018Let\u2019s get a black photographer to shoot it so that they can get the exposure.\u2019 I don\u2019t agree with that. We\u2019ve been amazing before this moment.\u201d Self-determination has been both her secret weapon and a necessity for Medrano. In previous interviews, she\u2019s shared the struggles she\u2019s encountered while assisting, and how she felt alien being the only black girl on set. \u201cI just used my inner resources. I\u2019m so happy to be a part of what\u2019s happening now. It\u2019s amazing, breaking barriers every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Growing up in the Bronx shaped Medrano and had a profound effect on her definition of beauty. \u201cGrowing up in urbanised communities, you wouldn\u2019t think the people and places I was around were beautiful, but for me, I saw beauty in that rawness, and I take that everywhere with me.\u201d Growing up surrounded by family and friends, she learnt that \u201cself-love is self-acceptance\u201d, an ethos she tries to share with the kids in her community. \u201cI feel like people have this bad perception of the Bronx and I try and make it relatable to everybody. There are a lot of places like that, and I feel like we need to embrace them. I want the world to know there is beauty in everything, in all people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":83300,"id":83300,"title":"24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04","filename":"24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","filesize":798600,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/24056_rme_dominicanrepublic_002-04\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"24056_rme_dominicanrepublic_002-04","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":83291,"date":"2020-02-18 17:20:38","modified":"2020-02-18 17:20:38","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1533,"height":1920,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","thumbnail-width":77,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","medium-width":1533,"medium-height":1920,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","medium_large-width":1533,"medium_large-height":1920,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","large-width":1533,"large-height":1920,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","1536x1536-width":1226,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","2048x2048-width":1533,"2048x2048-height":1920,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":10,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_002-04.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1533,"wpvr_mobile-height":1920}},{"ID":83299,"id":83299,"title":"24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02","filename":"24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","filesize":817078,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/24056_rme_dominicanrepublic_048-02\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"24056_rme_dominicanrepublic_048-02","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":83291,"date":"2020-02-18 17:20:33","modified":"2020-02-18 17:20:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1533,"height":1920,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","thumbnail-width":77,"thumbnail-height":96,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","medium-width":1533,"medium-height":1920,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","medium_large-width":1533,"medium_large-height":1920,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","large-width":1533,"large-height":1920,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","1536x1536-width":1226,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","2048x2048-width":1533,"2048x2048-height":1920,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":10,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/24056_RME_DominicanRepublic_048-02.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1533,"wpvr_mobile-height":1920}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"6","caption":"Renell Medrano, Dominican Republic. From the exhibition PAMPARA in collaboration with WePresent. "}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"

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Untitled Youth<\/em>, an intimate look at the lives of four teenage girls growing up in the Bronx, was her undergraduate thesis project at Parsons School of Design, where she earned her BFA in 2014. The series, which mirrors her uptown upbringing, was an immersive two-year project in which she documented all aspects of her subjects\u2019 daily lives. Medrano imbues these regular girls with agency and strength, championing their \u2018perfectly imperfect\u2019 beauty to empower them and ensure they feel seen. She says that Parsons initially felt \u201cfar-fetched\u201d for her \u201cas it was so hard to get in. But I decided just to do it, and give it my all\u201d. She tells me, \u201cI even went to the enrolment office and made sure they knew I wanted to go there.\u201d The series established Medrano as one to watch and won the New York Times Lens Blog Award.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s been a busy few years for Medrano, who has built up an incredible portfolio collaborating with Nike, Gucci and Jimmy Choo, shooting covers and creating album art for A$AP Ferg, H.E.R. and Chaka Khan. Today, she\u2019s created a short film with music video director Thuan Tran as part of Peluca, her first ever solo show that opened at New York\u2019s Milk Studios this September \u2013 the same venue that also hosted her thesis show. I\u2019m curious if she ever worries about over-exposure? \u201cWe live in such a fast world. Everything is given to us so fast. It kinda scares me; I keep trying to slow it down,\u201d she tells me. \u201cIt does create anxiety for people. Social media is just encouraging us to put so much out to stay relevant. I try not to let that pace define me or my work.\u201d Being conscious of career longevity can often mean making difficult choices: \u201cI think about what will we have left for later. I say no to a lot more now. Even when it\u2019s a great opportunity, sometimes I say no, it can just be so much.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":83295,"id":83295,"title":"9.Untitled","filename":"9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","filesize":381171,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/9-untitled\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"9-untitled","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":83291,"date":"2020-02-18 15:26:36","modified":"2020-02-18 18:02:00","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1500,"height":995,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","thumbnail-width":128,"thumbnail-height":85,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","medium-width":1500,"medium-height":995,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","medium_large-width":1500,"medium_large-height":995,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","large-width":1500,"large-height":995,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","1536x1536-width":1500,"1536x1536-height":995,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","2048x2048-width":1500,"2048x2048-height":995,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":18,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/9.Untitled-e1582039626540.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1500,"wpvr_mobile-height":995}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"10","caption":"Renell Medrano, 'Untitled', 2019. Courtesy of the artist. "}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"

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For Medrano, creating energy and intimacy on demand is tough. \u201cI honestly try and capture moments that mean something to me. Clients freak out sometimes, asking for mood boards. I get it. But you guys hire us; just let us do our thing. In documentary, whatever happens is what you get. I try and explain the vibe I\u2019m going for but it\u2019s on set that the magic happens for me.\u201d I ask how she navigates busy sets. \u201cMy team get it,\u201d she tells me. \u201cThey don\u2019t hover behind my back. They walk off set and let it happen and then get excited to see the photos a week later.\u201d Her approach is instinctual; she prefers not to direct. \u201cI love to have my subject live in the space we are in and just let things happen. I think that\u2019s why my work feels personal. It\u2019s just about me and the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Five-years on from her graduate show at Milk Gallery, she returned this autumn with Peluca. Named after the Spanish term for \u2018wig\u2019, it\u2019s an immersive exploration of the complex dynamics of wig culture and their recent shift into the mainstream. The 25-image show included the aforementioned collaboration with Tran; an extraordinarily sized wig installation by hairstylist, Evanie Frausto, and \u2013 the focal point \u2013 a \u2018salon experience\u2019 installation with set designer, Lauren Nikrooz, where a model got their hair done in front of the crowd. \u201cPeluca came from me reflecting on my work and questioning the role hair and wigs play in my stories. When I was younger, I\u2019d be in the salon two-to-three times a week surrounded by real women. Salons were always such a private and safe space for us. I feel like back in the day talking about wigs was not a thing. It would be looked down upon, so we were scared to embrace it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"images","gallery":[{"ID":83297,"id":83297,"title":"NEW-52690027","filename":"NEW-52690027.jpg","filesize":330155,"url":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/new-52690027\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"new-52690027","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":83291,"date":"2020-02-18 15:37:09","modified":"2020-02-18 18:04:27","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1500,"height":995,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","thumbnail-width":128,"thumbnail-height":85,"medium":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","medium-width":1500,"medium-height":995,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","medium_large-width":1500,"medium_large-height":995,"large":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","large-width":1500,"large-height":995,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","1536x1536-width":1500,"1536x1536-height":995,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","2048x2048-width":1500,"2048x2048-height":995,"trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","trp-custom-language-flag-width":18,"trp-custom-language-flag-height":12,"wpvr_mobile":"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/NEW-52690027.jpg","wpvr_mobile-width":1500,"wpvr_mobile-height":995}}],"settings":{"fit_width":"10","caption":"Renell Medrano, 'Untitled', Harlem, 2017. From The New Black Vanguard (Apeture 2019). Courtesy of the artist."}},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"

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The show was a defining moment for Medrano, both personally and professionally. Tired of her images only existing on social media, the act of framing them and having her community come out and connect with the work was transformational. \u201cI wanna inspire people and move people, not just with photos. This living thing had a real impact on people.\u201d Personally, the show gave her purpose. \u201cThe energy was amazing on the opening. Kids need to see our community like that. I want to keep the community involved and create hope for them as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Grit tempered by tenderness has made her a go-to for musicians. Medrano\u2019s recent portraits of musician Dev Hynes (AKA Blood Orange) are both candid and disarming. Hynes sits casually in a pared-back studio wearing a variety of sculptural wigs that transform how we see him. \u201cI\u2019m very picky about the artists that I photograph. Dev is amazing, he trusts my eye. It was a small set, just the three of us, playing around with wigs. All my favourite shoots tend to happen when we are free. We feel each other\u2019s energy. That\u2019s how I usually do my best work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","text":"\"I want the world to know there is beauty in everything, in all people.\"","source":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"

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She continues: \u201cI hate the word \u2018celebrity\u2019. We are all waiting to see them all glammed up in perfect light. I remember shooting Megan Thee Stallion and people at first were like, \u2018This is not her.\u2019 But I love how I took her from that element and brought her to the Bronx, somewhere she\u2019s never been.\u201d This is Medrano\u2019s trademark, she shoots celebrities as regulars. She grounds them in reality, in places and spaces that feel familiar, lived-in and honest. The images she captures are intimate and authentic. Illusive moments where her subjects let go and reveal aspects of their interior personas. They are free to have fun, to nerd out, to inhabit the emotional space usually reserved for family and friends. \u201cI treat my subjects all equally. Honestly, I don\u2019t even \u2018fan out\u2019 anymore. In the beginning, I used to feel pressure, I was so nervous. But what I realised is that we are all the same and me not viewing their status changed everything. They know what they\u2019re worth and who they are. I treat them as regulars because they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For photographers, transitioning to being in front of the lens can be a challenging and disorientating encounter. When I ask Medrano about her experience shooting herself for the cover of this issue, she tells me: \u201cI discovered it was interesting.\u201d Aiming to capture the same vulnerability she achieves with her subjects, she explains, \u201cAt first I was super nervous, there are so many different ways of doing it. There wasn\u2019t much prepping. I played around with wigs again to explore different aspects of my personality. I was a character that I am only in my head.\u201d<\/p>\n

As viewers of her work we experience a lot of Medrano\u2019s inner emotions through her photographs, and in many ways, her creative work is a loving gift to the community who helped make her. With a history of greatness behind her, who knows what her next move will be. But one truth remains: she\u2019s turbocharged and just getting started.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_area","text_area":"

This article originally appeared in SLEEK 64,\u00a0<\/em>out now<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In collaboration with\u00a0<\/span><\/b>WePresent<\/b><\/a><\/span>, Renell Medrano premieres a new body of work<\/a> shot in the Dominican Republic.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/div>\n"}]},"yoast_head":"\n"Beauty in everything": the deeply personal photography of Renell Medrano "Beauty in everything": the deeply personal photography of Renell Medrano<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"de_DE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""Beauty in everything": the deeply personal photography of Renell Medrano "Beauty in everything": the deeply personal photography of Renell Medrano\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/de\/article\/renell-medrano-personal-photography\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sleek Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sleekmag\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-18T18:14:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-02-19T09:40:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sleekmag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@sleekmag\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Verfasst von\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"sleek\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sleek-mag.com\/\",\"name\":\"Sleek Magazine\",\"description\":\"Sleek is Germany\u2019s leading independent media house\/brand for creativity and innovation located in Berlin the creative capital of the world. 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