Thai-German Photographer and Creative Director Mélanie Lehmann Has Inclusivity At The Forefront Of Her Work

Photographer and creative director Mélanie Lehmann exudes control and confidence in front of the camera, as much as she does behind it. As she enters the doors of GUAP studios, the set up is nothing she hasn’t seen before. Colour backdrop…check. An eclectic rack of clothes…check. As the producer of the shoot and admitally a fan of her work….I watch as she calmly takes her seat at make up and cooly nods as I explain the concept. In a professional landscape that is often criticised for it’s lack of female inclusion. It is a joy, to be celebrating a young trailblazer in photography being photographed, styled and interviewed by a diverse group of young women at GUAP.

Mélanie Lehmann honestly expresses what drew her to photography and admits in a humerous tone that it, “was money and how fast pace it is”. Not that I can blame her, the industry which is famously gate-keeped by white cis-men is worth up 1.7 billion in the UK only. But with the rise of social media, the world has opened up to more diverse perspectives. And the London-based creative has curated a body of work that has caught the attention of up to 18.4K instagram followers.

As well as re-inventing herself in her jaw dropping self-potraits, Melanie also beautifully potrays women in a diverse and positive manner through her work. Conceptually, as an artist, Melanie’s collection of work is playful, vibrant and nosalgic aesthetics instantly pulls you in. But unlike much photographer of womxn, it seems that she intents to steer away from the male gaze and forces the viewer to relinquish control to the subject that has been captured.

Check out our interview with Mélanie Lehmann here.

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