Marcela Melej
Santiago, Chile, 1982
Fotógrafa independiente.
Fotógrafa independiente y creadora de “Estudio Melej”, conformado por un equipo de fotógrafas. Encabeza la dirección y coordinación de cada proyecto.
Su obra construye relatos y narrativas visuales que otorgan presencia a lugares, personas y comunidades, desde una mirada atenta y respetuosa. Su propuesta amplía los alcances de la imagen tradicional, explorando un enfoque original y sensible que evoca atmósferas y emociones.
La naturaleza, sus entornos y seres que los habitan inspira su obra. Retratando desde el 2009 diversas realidades del mundo; Chile, la Amazonía, Centroamérica, el sudeste asiático entre otros.
Ha desarrollado durante más de 15 años un trabajo documental sobre movimientos sociales y conflictos ambientales a lo largo de Chile, con una mirada centrada en los territorios y sus comunidades.
Su práctica se enfoca en proyectos locales vinculados al arte, la cultura, la educación y el medioambiente, buscando visibilizar realidades frecuentemente ignoradas o marginadas. También realiza cursos de fotografía digital, con un enfoque en referentes visuales, salidas a terreno y herramientas para aprender la técnica desde la creatividad y la conceptualización.
Su trayectoria profesional, además, considera más de una década de experiencia en fotografía de arquitectura, colaborando en proyectos nacionales e internacionales.
Independent photographer and creator of “Estudio Melej”, a studio comprised of a team of photographers. She leads the direction and coordination of each project.
Her work constructs portrayals and visual narratives that give presence to places, people, and communities through an attentive and respectful gaze. Her proposal moves beyond traditional imagery, exploring an original and deeply sensitive approach that evokes the atmosphere and emotions.
Her work constructs portrayals and visual narratives that give presence to places, people, and communities through an attentive and respectful gaze. Her proposal moves beyond traditional imagery, exploring an original and deeply sensitive approach that evokes the atmosphere and emotions.
Since 2009, inspired by nature, its environments, and the beings who inhabit them, she has depicted diverse contexts around the world, including Chile, the Amazon, Central America, and Southeast Asia, among others.
For more than fifteen years, she has developed a documentary body of work on social movements and environmental conflicts throughout Chile, with a perspective centered on the relationship between communities and their territories.
Her praxis focuses on local projects related to art, culture, education, and the environment, seeking to shed light on realities often overlooked or marginalized. She also teaches digital photography courses oriented toward the exploration of visual references, direct fieldwork experience, and technical tools applied from a creatively and conceptually point of view.
In parallel, she has built a solid professional background in architectural photography for over a decade, collaborating both on national and international projects.