Hi!

I am Manuela. Welcome to UNDONE. I am a photo-based artist with a love for writing.

UNDONE is a publication where I share my images and write about my creative process, life as an artist and more.

The title for this publication is taken from a song of the same title by Olafur Arnalds, one of my favorite musicians. Music is a huge source of inspiration for me and I have always been struck by the (spoken) lyrics of this song. I am going to write more about why in one of my first posts.

Photography

My journey with photography started about 16 years ago after two life changing events happened within one year, the death of my brother and the birth of my first son.

In my work, I use various photographic techniques to explore themes around loss and grief, my personal experience with generational trauma, as well as the notions of belonging, connection and what it means to be human. Within that I continue to explore human ways of coping, the strength that evolves out of suffering and our common desire for healing and journey towards wholeness. Much of my work consists of black and white, conceptual self-portraits.

My photography has been described as contemplative, evocative, dark, and cinematic and has been widely exhibited nationally as well as internationally. My “Trauma” series won 1^st place conceptual series of the year in the Monovisions Award in 2019, and in the same year I won the 13^th Julia Margaret Cameron Award in the Self-Portrait Category. In addition, my work has been published online and in print in such places as Black and White Magazine, Sun Magazine, Dohdo Magazine and Shots Magazine. 

I teach workshops mainly at Santa Fe Workshops, and offer mentoring services as well.

Writing

I also enjoy writing, and I believe that writing about my work and life is an important exercise that brings clarity and vision to my work as a photographer and can help others do the same. I believe the combination of images and words is a powerful one and I hope to do it justice.

Why subscribe to UNDONE?

The work as an artist is often quite solitary. And as much as this fits my natural disposition, I long for community. I believe that art should be shared (without the influence of algorithms!), and the goal of making and sharing art is to create and foster connection.

I also believe in sharing the process behind my images, how and where I get inspired, and the joys and struggles of life as an artist and human being. In my workshops, I love helping others to realize and develop the vision for their own work and hope that this space can likewise be a source of help, advice, tools and inspiration.

Something to keep in mind

The weekly newsletter is free. Any pledges will go towards my creative work. As this space develops and grows, I will turn on paid subscriptions for specific content.

I believe in sharing my art with the world, but doing so relies on the help and support of people who enjoy what I share.

Thank you!

Thank you for being here and for reading. I appreciate it so much.

To see more of my work, you can check out my website or Instagram profile @manuelathames