villa-villa kula: Mel Tjoeng

Last Sunday I spied a gorgeous little tattooed lady inhabiting the stall next to me at The Village Markets,Burleigh Heads.Later in the day I wandered over to check out her stall & have a yarn,her name was Mel Tjoeng & she is an AMAZING photographer.I am absolutely in awe of her shots,they're rich,honest & they all tell a story.

Melanie is an avid traveller and storyteller. Born in Queensland’s capital city of Brisbane, she spent most of her early years playing in the tepid waters and dense jungles of Papua New Guinea’s Sepik coastal town of Wewak. She has been traversing the globe since she was born and has lived in Hawaii, Mexico, Denmark, Australia and Papua New Guinea. As a learned Anthropologist, her passion for storytelling came naturally and when she discovered her love for the captured image, photography seemed like the perfect calling. Combining her anthropological knowledge and love for the camera, Melanie hopes not only to share the things she sees but also to convey the stories of others through her lens. She is committed to capturing the diverse nature of the planet with a particular focus on human nature, social justice and the eccentricities of modernity. She believes that love and knowledge can solve many of the world’s problems and hopes that her work can help to encourage both, simultaneously. Melanie has faith in the ability of photography to disintegrate borders and connect people cross culturally. These are her stories and the stories of others.