THREE PHOTOS
Nena Black is an American photographer whose eclectic work explores themes of nature, sensuality, ambiguity, and perception. Raised in New York City, Black’s artistic sensibilities were well nourished, especially as a teenager in the 1980s being heavily influenced by the art icons of that time. Her primary influence, her stepfather, was a self-taught photographer who instilled in her the importance of curiosity, introspection, and authenticity. As his protege, she learned to ‘see’ the world around her through keen observation by the naked eye, before even picking up a camera. The unfortunate loss of her stepfather in her 20s caused her to withdraw from photography for nearly two decades, until existential unrest took her to the Pacific Northwest. There, the lush natural beauty and vast landscape reawakened her passion for the art form. Now, reborn in coastal Southern California, Nena Black’s current work eloquently reflects the complexity and soulfulness of her journey as an artist, through vivid images that
evoke a sense of mystique, intimacy, and nostalgia.
