Melissa Mecenero

Melissa Mecenero – Biography (English Translation) I was born in Biella on a cold January morning. The first things I saw and felt were my parents and the warmth of their presence. I grew up in a wonderfully chaotic family. I’m the youngest of three children, and together with my siblings, we turned our home into a kind of joyful madhouse. It always seemed like each of us was doing something different, but in truth, we were all engaged in the same shared activity: growing up. I learned 90% of what I know about life from living with this tribe — observing, appreciating details, capturing moments, and experiencing the emotions of everyday life. I attended art high school, where I painted. I started taking vacation photos, guided not by technical knowledge but by an instinct for composition and color. I loved the impatient wait to get home and develop the film rolls — a way to relive the emotions of a summer already tucked away in the drawer of memories. My teenage years were pretty ordinary, apart from the constant, “Meli, enough with the photos!” I painted for many years, but after the birth of my daughter Alice in 2011, I realized my true calling was photography. I found myself freezing moments in time — her growth, her spontaneity, her eyes. In 2014, I joined the photography association Officina Fotografica in Romagnano Sesia. I took their beginner’s course, met professionals, experimented with different genres, but most importantly, I met incredible people — bright and inspiring like the flash of a strobe — for whom I have deep admiration and friendship. I am co-founder, along with three friends, of #collettivo17, a documentary photography collective created in 2018 in Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain), a collaborative project curated by Laura Manione. It was born from our passion for photography and the idea of sharing a journey together. I love shooting live music events, street photography, reportage, and I have a deep passion for environmental portraiture. From this love came my project “Un po’ più in là” in 2019 — a black and white series developed over two years, covering all four seasons. It was a heartfelt endeavor, a personal space-time journey, a return to childhood. It is also my tribute to one of my favorite photographers, Robert Doisneau. I’m constantly experimenting. I share a photography studio with my friend Michele, where I’m learning to use studio lighting — despite being a passionate fan of natural light (obviously, haha!). I believe in the authenticity of emotions, the simplicity of sharing, and in music (which always accompanies me, even in my “space/time journeys”). Photography is my truest form of communication — the language of my soul. I don’t claim to teach anything to anyone (except perhaps to my daughter, by helping her learn more than instructing her), but I do try to be a witness to one truth: Life holds the best copyright. Meli captures childhood not just as a subject, but as a living, authentic experience. Her photographs carry a dual perspective — the innocent gaze of a child and the awareness of an adult coexist in each frame. This delicate balance is what defines her style. When viewed together, her images unfold into a continuous and enchanting narrative about the wonder of childhood.