Meet Ryen Cooper | Visual & Spiritual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryen Cooper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryen, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always had a creative eye and imagination. Growing up I would act out the lives of what I thought were fashion designers, painters, singers, photographers. I was always living in my own world in my room creating, reading, and playing. My parents would have to come and check on me periodically to see if I was still alive! But I made it a point to always stay connected with my inner child. Today, all of that imagination manifested into me doing photography and visual arts. At Spelman, I really walked into my purpose by staying active in the arts, glee club, and film. When I studied abroad in Belgium, I decided to dedicate my life to art and wrote my first documentary entitled “Noir” where I explored the lives and struggles of Atlanta University Students. Art is something that follows me no matter where I go. It’s essentially a part of me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create visual art from a black woman’s perspective & experiences. I mainly center my photography & film around the authentic and resilient lives of people of color. I believe that there is a lack of art (especially photography) created by black women and where I see a need, I fill it. Recently, I began a project called “NARCOS” where I explain Black love as one of the strongest drugs on the market. You take the spiritual elements of God, mixed with melanin, over 400 years of enslavement, the presence of an oppressive euro-centrentic society and you’ve got it. Many crave black love & the culture it has created. It has brought together a legacy of resilience & perseverance while withstanding the tests of time. Narcos can be described as a substance to treat moderate or severe pain and this form of it has been used for both good and evil. I am creating Narcos as a symbol of the love my people inhabited for so many years & how its addictive properties have shaped the world in which I was able to die and be born again. THIS is the magnitude I put behind each project. They are much deeper than a collection of photos and that is what sets me apart. Living in Atlanta, you come across so many talented artists and self-made creators like myself, so of course it isn’t easy to be recognized. But I don’t create for recognition, I create to express and heal. If I am able to touch the lives of others in the process, then it becomes all the more gratifying.

Aside from my own creative projects, I also work with other black creatives and minority owned businesses to help expand their brand. I currently work as a photographer & videographer for Lynae Bogues otherwise known as @_Lyneezy who created Parking Lot Pimpin. I help bring imagery to her take on black culture and history. To empower and support other artists who look like me is something I am most proud of.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Atlanta is the black mecca of the United States (try and argue me if you can)! I think no trip to Atlanta is a trip without visiting the Atlanta University Center and its surrounding West End. You have some of the best food (Mangos Jamaican, Dat Fire Jamaican, Atlanta Fish House & Grille, Rosie’s Cafe & Mr. Everything just to name a few). If we’re heading out for a girls night, we have to stop by the West End Mall to hit up Sassy’s boutique & the hair store for all things black beauty. Next, we may pick up a bottle at the D&M Liquor store before we head to the function. If you’re feeling spiritually hungry, Little Five Points has all things awakened (street art, crystals, sage, Sevanada the natural foods store, and Rag-O-Rama for some premium thrifting). And finally what would a trip to Atlanta be without visiting its historic Auburn and Edgewood area. There you’ll find the MLK Center, BQE for brunch, Harolds Chicken (a midwest favorite), and bars and clubs lining the streets of Edgewood. Did I mention how much I love it here?

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout my family (back in Flint, Michigan ) & my closest friends (Jo, Brhan, Chels, Rana & Lyrica)! Ya’ll are my tribe. I want to acknowledge two readings that changed my life: Sacred Woman: A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind, and Spirit (by Queen Afua) & A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (by Eckhart Tolle). Shoutouts to my fellow artists & Spelman sisters Nia Jackson and Piera Moore, you may not know it, but you’ve inspired me to keep going. And finally to every model, artist, and professional I have worked with, thank you for trusting me and my vision and being down for the ride!

Website: www.ryentrenae.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryen.trenae/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryentrenae

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-9ZQBuY5hiyLwaQCvHIuw

Image Credits
All photos were taken by me: RyenTrenae