Melanee "Mel" Brown
Melanee “Mel” Brown is a Houston-born, Atlanta-based photographer currently pursuing her MFA at Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work explores Black family dynamics, self-discovery through self-portraiture, and the concept of re-memory—bridging past and present through archival images. Working primarily with analog photography, Melanee’s practice spans documentary, editorial, and conceptual modes. Through carefully crafted storytelling, she reflects on identity, generational cycles, and what it means to feel at home within oneself. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including at Atlanta Photography Group and Houston Center for Photography, and continues to evolve through projects rooted in cultural memory and the lived experiences of communities of color.
Contact: itsmelbeephotography@gmail.com
"Gangs Outside" (2021), Archival Inkjet Print, 18x24
"Fly High, Soraya" (2023), Archival Inkjet Print, 18x24
"Moments (Nylah and Mimi)" (2021), Archival Inkjet Print, 18x24
"Untitled (Brooklyn Stoop)" (2024), Archival Inkjet Print, 18x24
I identify my culture through my experiences as a Black woman, shaped by family, community, and memory. This perspective informs my lens, guiding the stories I choose to tell and how I frame them. I’m drawn to documenting Black family dynamics, rituals, and intimate moments, capturing both resilience and vulnerability. My cultural background shapes not only my subjects but also my aesthetic choices, the colors, gestures, and spaces that feel familiar and meaningful. Photography becomes a way to preserve memory, honor lived experiences, and translate cultural narratives into visual form, connecting the personal with the collective.
