Sheilby Macena

“I want to continue to help add to Black imagery, encompassing the daily lives in different communities, and I think it's absolutely important to document this wide spectrum.”

Meet Sheilby

Sheilby Macena (she/her) is a Haitian American photographer based in Oakland, California. A graduate of St. John's University in New York, she considers her camera lens an extension of her own unique perspective, one which has been shaped and sharpened by the history she carries within herself.

Sheilby’s attraction to photography was sparked through her exposure to extensive family albums as a child. Her work strikes a balance between ethereal delicacy and sharp angularity. She sees her Adobe Stock Artist Development Fund project as an opportunity to capture the complexity inherent in the Black experience. “I just want to look up in the media and be seen, and culturally represented,” she says. “On a larger scale, I want to continue to help add to Black imagery, encompassing the daily lives in different communities. I think it's important to document this wide spectrum.”

With people as her primary subject matter, Sheilby’s focus is on candidly communicating the experiences, stories, and histories of the individual—relating to her photographic subjects and herself. The result is a mesmerizingly sincere and unique style of storytelling.

| sheilby.com