Meet Debora Medici-Guetta

oday we’d like to introduce you to Debora Medici-Guetta.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up, I always felt that the world was worth discovering. I was born and raised in Rome, Italy. I studied foreign languages in high school and travelled often throughout Europe to improve my fluency. This gave me the opportunity to discover the world beyond Italy. My mother encouraged me to continue my quest to see what there was outside the world I grew up in. My parents’ divorce was a traumatic event that pushed me further outside my home. I traveled abroad, lived in London for a year, and finally moved to Los Angeles. I remember the summer before I left London, I worked several different jobs to be able to buy my plane ticket and afford a place to stay once I arrived in LA. With only the essentials in my pocket, I moved to Los Angeles, excited to pursue the unknown. When I arrived, I found myself immersed in a world full of opportunity and creative individuals. Being a woman was not always easy but Los Angeles was different in the late 80s. I was working, painting, studying, and having fun. All while being responsible and careful. Then I fell in love, got married and had three amazing kids. As a young mother, I had to put my desires and passions aside to raise my family and help my husband in growing his career. I had to be the rock of my family. However, the itch for creativity and expressing my persona never went away. Armed with my camera, I took pictures of everyday life. I loved traveling and being able to capture an emotion, a moody moment or even a passing image from a car window in the rain. I slowly started to experiment with these photos and came up with a weaving technique. This technique meant so much to me as it is a small fragment of myself and my background; mixing years, places, and feelings and deconstructing a status quo image and making it my own perception of reality.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Life is never a smooth road. Nothing is what we expect and we can’t predict the obstacles ahead. I left home at an early age knowing that there was more to discover besides the beautiful city where I was born and grew up in. And so I left on my own, supporting myself through my journey, working sometimes 2 to 3 jobs and studying at night. When I first moved to Los Angeles, I didn’t know what to expect. I moved to pursue graphic design and illustration but then I got married and had my first two kids. I went back to school to study photojournalism and shoot everyday life but then a few medical issues in the family set me back. By the time I picked up where I left off, things were very different. The world had moved from developing film rolls in the darkroom to uploading images from a digital camera. I had to re-learn the craft and adjust myself and my manner of expression. I joined a professional photography workshop where I was able (and still continue) to interact and exchange ideas with some great individuals and professionals in the same field. This is what truly pushed me to find my vision and create the pieces I make today.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Few years ago, I started to weave my photos. Each photo is shredded in the same way the chaos in everyone’s life shreds us apart. It needs to be pulled apart and sorted out to allow us to rebuild. Once each strip is put together in a new arrangement, you’ll realize that you have recreated a new life, a new city, and landed in a new parallel world. This helps you become the person you want to be, build the city you want to live and reconstruct the life you want to live. I see this new world from many angles as a woman, artist, mother, wife, and daughter.

Now that I have begun this journey of rebuilding, there are countless layers that I add (or take away) and/or change about the cities that I visit, the people I meet, and experiences I live. Everybody has their own visions, thoughts and feelings. Through mine, you will be able to feel a part of a new environment, forgetting the negativity of the chaos and momentarily escape from your everyday life.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
You should always believe in yourself and not forget where you come from and where you are going. Everyone has a talent and a path to follow. When you are heading in the right direction, the path unfolds naturally in front of you and the challenges are there for you to better yourself. You’ll meet the right people who you were meant to meet and who will help you grow and achieve your goals. Just trust yourself. There is meaning and something to be learned in everything you do and in everyone you meet. For those who are looking for a hands-on approach to learning, I would suggest joining a workshop to share your ideas and gain knowledge from people who share the same passion1

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