Bonny Melendez received her bachelor's degree in psychology and worked as a social worker for five years before making a significant pivot to focus on her artistic practice. This shift has not only deepened her ability to connect with others, but also taught her how to intentionally nurture a more meaningful relationship with herself.
Her background in psychology deeply informs her photographic work. She is drawn to psychological layers, often reflecting on how our inner worlds shape the ways we carry ourselves, relate to our lineage, and experience autonomy. Bonny’s work frequently blurs the lines between portraiture, documentary, fashion, and self-portraiture, using the camera as a tool to study and reclaim parts of herself.
Raised in Queens, New York, Bonny’s worldview was shaped by its vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. Being surrounded by many cultures sparked her interest in how cultural memory and personal history are formed, sustained, and expressed through daily life. She often explores how culture travels through the diaspora, how it evolves, transforms, and endures.
As the daughter of Peruvian immigrants, cultural memory plays a central role in Bonny’s practice. She is interested in how ancestral stories are passed down through objects, gestures, and rituals and how photography can act as a bridge between generations. Bonny is currently working on projects that center women in her family, as well as mothers and other women who inspire her. These portraits often honor softness, resilience, and grace. Through her photography, she aims to create space for reclamation, especially for women who, like herself, are navigating multiple identities and layered histories.
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Bonny is currently based in New Mexico and is available for commissioned work in NYC|NM.
BonnyMelendez.Photo@gmail.com
@BonnyMelendez_
Bonny Melendez received her bachelor's degree in psychology and worked as a social worker for five years before making a significant pivot to focus on her artistic practice. This shift has not only deepened her ability to connect with others, but also taught her how to intentionally nurture a more meaningful relationship with herself.
Her background in psychology deeply informs her photographic work. She is drawn to psychological layers, often reflecting on how our inner worlds shape the ways we carry ourselves, relate to our lineage, and experience autonomy. Bonny’s work frequently blurs the lines between portraiture, documentary, fashion, and self-portraiture, using the camera as a tool to study and reclaim parts of herself.
Raised in Queens, New York, Bonny’s worldview was shaped by its vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. Being surrounded by many cultures sparked her interest in how cultural memory and personal history are formed, sustained, and expressed through daily life. She often explores how culture travels through the diaspora, how it evolves, transforms, and endures.
As the daughter of Peruvian immigrants, cultural memory plays a central role in Bonny’s practice. She is interested in how ancestral stories are passed down through objects, gestures, and rituals and how photography can act as a bridge between generations. Bonny is currently working on projects that center women in her family, as well as mothers and other women who inspire her. These portraits often honor softness, resilience, and grace. Through her photography, she aims to create space for reclamation, especially for women who, like herself, are navigating multiple identities and layered histories.
~
Bonny is currently based in New Mexico and is available for commissioned work in NYC|NM.
BonnyMelendez.Photo@gmail.com
@BonnyMelendez_