We recently connected with Monica Denevan and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Monica, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned how to darkroom print when I studied photography at San Francisco State University many years ago and I continue this practice now. Learning how to photograph people in Myanmar/Burma required a lot of trial and error. I was fortunate to be able to return to specific locations and people over the years to make more portraits. I don’t think I could have sped up the learning process as it requires time to see, to learn from mistakes, and to trust one’s gut. Some essential skills are adapting to the unknown, being spontaneous, letting things evolve organically, and listening to the inner voice. The obstacles I encountered were often self-imposed like being rigid with a preconceived idea, or ignoring signs that the vision should go in a different direction, or not asking more questions.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a San Francisco based, fine art photographer who makes intimate black and white photographs while traveling. Probably best known for my ongoing series, “Songs of the River: Portraits of Burma,” more recent series are from Europe and Yosemite. My images are created on film and printed in my traditional darkroom in limited editions. Larger 30″x30″ and 36″x36″ pigment prints or work on aluminum are also available.

My photographs have been exhibited in the US and internationally including the 2024 Chianciano Biennale (Italy), the 2023 London Art Biennale, Center for Photographic Art (Carmel, CA), and the Triton Art Museum (Santa Clara, CA.) Recent solo exhibitions include Trart Gallery (Trieste, Italy), Duncan Miller Gallery (Santa Monica, CA) and upcoming in September 2025 at Lechbinska Gallery (Zürich, Switzerland.)

Potential clients can contact me directly or through my gallery representatives to purchase my photographs: Scott Nichols Gallery (Sonoma, CA) and Capital Culture Gallery (Norfolk, UK.) These galleries regularly bring my photographs to the Affordable Art Fairs in London, AIPAD in New York, and the photography fairs in Los Angeles where my work can be acquired. Commissions and custom sizes are also available. We look forward to working with you.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Many years ago, I was making the photograph that would ultimately become “Pendulum, Burma.” I brought my friend to a spare and dramatic tree that I loved, and photographed him on a makeshift rope swing while I was in a small boat at a distance. It was an image that I had visualized in advance yet when I was home and finally saw the contact sheets, I was disappointed with how the picture had turned out. So I didn’t print it and waited until I returned to Burma the following year and recreated the entire image. This time a storm was moving quickly towards us and I made the photograph again. It soon became one of my most popular images.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When photographing people, it is always my mission to be as respectful and considerate as possible. For me, this means always asking permission, paying people for their time, and being aware of cultural norms. I ask a lot of questions so I’m less likely to get things wrong although it happens sometimes. And, it’s important to me that everyone is having fun while we’re working together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.monicadenevan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicadenevan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monicadenevan
• Other: https://www.threads.com/@monicadenevan