Photographer Zoë Marieh Urness
GreenMoney thanks Zoë Marieh Urness for her photographic contributions to our special August 2015 issue on “Indigenous Peoples and Impact Investing.”
Below you can read more about Zoe and find links to see her full portfolio as well as how to purchase her photos.
Photographer Zoë Marieh Urness is a Tlingit Alaskan Native whose portraits of modern Natives in traditional regalia and settings, aim to send a message –– “We are here. And we are thriving, through our traditions.”
“Since April of last year, Urness, who is Tlingit and Cherokee, has been traveling the western United States, Using her art to help preserve the traditions of indigenous people, she produces photos that serve to connect the old ways to the modern-day realities of the Native world. The importance of passing on tradition through storytelling, dance and song is deeply ingrained in Native American life, and Urness has managed to not only participate in this sacred heritage in a stylish and contemporary manner, but through her diligent documentation is sharing the ways of those whom she honors with a wider audience. Gaining traction largely through word of mouth, the series has grown organically and exponentially as one subject leads Urness to the next, and what began as a solitary endeavor has blossomed into a communal effort, unconstrained by tribe or borders.”
— Brooklyn Benjestorf, Nordstrom Blogs
Her unique style fuses documentary and fine art, with her imagery simultaneously reflecting the sensitivity and the ancestral strength of her subjects. Educated at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA and with previous work in fashion, sports and editorial, Zoe’s current project Native Americans: Keeping the Traditions Alive focuses exclusively on sharing beautiful, powerful images of Indigenous Americans, and the lands and traditions they hold dear.
https://www.zoeurnessphoto.com/
https://www.facebook.com/zoe.urness