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Ronan McKenzie is a freelance photographer and stylist from North East London. In 2020 she launched HOME, one of the very few black-owned art spaces in London with a leading focus on supporting BIPOC and female artists. McKenzie is currently living in East London with her partner Diogo Rodrigues, a London based tattoo artist and illustrator She is represented by Cadence Image which she joined in 2020

Early life & education
Ronan McKenzie began her journey into fashion after working in retail and completing an art foundation course in fashion and textiles at Ravensbourne (2013–2014). As a teenager, McKenzie often made clothes with her mother's sewing machine and would sometimes make small pieces for her sisters small-scale brand. She then enrolled on Central Saint Martins for Fashion Communication and Promotion, however, backed out only a few days into the course after realising education wasn't the right path for her. She later found her way into photography after meeting Japanese photographer Piczo, a London College of Communication graduate at a fashion magazine party where she agreed to style a test shoot for him. In an interview with creative studio and media brand Nataal (2018) she talks about Piczo saying "He was so generous, he gave me the space to experiment. That was my lucky break". Mckenzie was also invited to a series of workshops by Tate curator and producer Rachel Noel which aimed to help introduce young people to photography.

Career
Ronan McKenzie first worked for Central Saint Martins (CSM) i-D magazine as an intern before leaving to work as second assistant and casting for director Madeleine Ostlie and her casting agency, AAMO for a few months. McKenzie's first exhibition was at the end of 2015 at Doomed gallery in Dalston called  'A Black Body'  which sought to normalise the diverse possibilities in what it means to be black. There she met artist Matthew Stone who she describes as being a mentor and a friend she could continuously look to for guidance and advice both artistically and technically which helped start her career. A year later in December 2016 Mckenzie launched her debut photography publication  'Hard Ears'  a collection of text and imagery that focuses on themes that unearth hidden beauty and cultural imagery. In October 2018 she curated ' I'm Home', an exhibition that explored the concepts of home and family through her own works as well as featuring the work of artists Rhea Dillon, Liz Johnson-Artur and Joy Gregory. During lockdown of 2020, McKenzie started her own clothing line titled Selasi on her kitchen table with the help of her partner Rodrigues.

HOME
Launched in North London of 2020 by Ronan McKenzie, HOME encompasses an arts gallery and a community events space with the hopes of building a more mindful place than that typically found in the mainstream arts. HOME is one of the very few black-owned art spaces in London with a leading focus on supporting BIPOC and female artists. As a multifunctional creative space, HOME offers a wide range of program events such as, affordable photo studios, open work spaces, a curated library, film nights, supper clubs, artist talks, portfolio reviews, music events and life drawing sessions.

"I am all too aware of the difficulties of navigating creative industries as a black female, and amongst the current offering in London, there needs to be a HOME,"

Upcoming exhibitions for 2022 include;


 *  'Between Me & You' by Bernice Mulenga (January 20th - March 6th)
 *  'By Your Side' by Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck & Jatinder Singh Durhailay (March 18th - May 1st)

Selected Clients

 * Stella McCartney
 * Nike
 * MARIEYAT
 * Base Range
 * Topshop
 * Adidas
 * Nataal Media
 * i-D
 * Vogue US
 * Vogue Me