Every time I meet Dennis, I'm mesmerized by his beautiful features and kind and loving soul. He dreams of living in a gender free society,  where we are all connected through a universal energy.  Trying to overcome hardship and hurtful experiences, he transforms his grief in an almost angelic kindness. Accepting the darkness in himself and in all of us, he is a beacon of light.

I Messiah

For this series I found my inspiration in Leonardo da Vinci's painting Salvator Mundi. Elio got married to his husband last August, but due to Covid-19, the circumstances of this wedding were far from what he had wished for.In this series I portray him as the saddened bride that tries to come to grips with the situation. As Elio spreads the word for a gender free world, he is also a Salvator.

The Bride

I drew inspiration from the paintings of the Dutch Golden Age in creating these series. There is more than meets the eye in these still-lives. These works tell stories of loss of innocence, decay and death. They are metaphors for the feelings of sexually abused women whom  I interviewed and photographed in another portrait series. Feelings that are expressed by the use of abstraction, suggestion and symbolic elements. Clues that convey an unsettling feeling in the looming darkness.

Time Will Tell

We find our lives in turmoil with Covid-19 amongst us. This turmoil, with no end in sight yet, leaves us not only isolated but drained as well. We feel locked up in the confined spaces of our homes. The stress and anxiety are taking their toll on our mental health.  Feeling uncertain about what is to come, the loneliness, grief and despair, death, we try to look for consolation. With this series I try to find ways to express these feelings of loss and uncertainty. These feelings, if left unattended, might prove to be equally harming as the virus itself. We long for the soothing greens of nature to expel the blues from our minds.  It is a lonely place, being on your own. These images hopefully offer some solace in a time where we seem to be disconnected not only to our environment but to ourselves as well.

Shadows of My Mind

For centuries black people have been dehumanized. As slaves they were treated as cargo or inventory and after the abolition of slavery as second class citizens. But fortunately things are changing. With the help of social media, a worldwide movement has emerged. One that has helped expose some of the horrors black people face on a regular basis. This has created awareness and a profound willingness to change things. Wanting to be treated both as a human being and as an equal, with respect for who you are, isn’t that what all of us want, need and deserve?

With this series I want to help maintain awareness and I portray my models with the dignity they deserve, acknowledging their pain and sorrow. We  definitely need a systemic change.

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Renata Dutrée

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