Meet Tré Hazelwood | Producer & Director

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

Hi Tré, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Being self-employed really conditioned me

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Art is such an interesting topic because everyone views it differently. My most recent interpretation of my art has been my art is me. It sounds overly simplified and cliché but it’s a concept that took me years to grasp. I spent the first 7+ years of my career creating art that had little to do with me. A large part of that was me not being comfortable with myself or fully knowing myself. Art is one of the few fields that requires you to grow as person to actually get better at it.

Without a doubt my queerness is what sets my art apart from others. I experience life different than the average black man and I no longer hold myself to the social expectations that come with being a black man. The certainty that I’ve been experiencing regarding myself is fairly new so it makes excited for what I create in the future. I love fashion and dance. I love blackness. I love queerness. I love masculinity. I love femininity. I love great authentic stories, the list goes on. As long as my work can reflect that while creating a safe space for people of color to perform our gifts, I’m happy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to acknowledge my alma mater, Clark Atlanta University, as a major contribution to who I am today. I applied to 5 colleges after high school and CAU was the only college I was accepted by. It was the first opportunity I had to be in a space with so many other people of color from all walks of life. Aside from the valuable life lessons I learned, the support has been continous even post-grad. I have instructors who still check on me like family. My alma mater commissioned me for one of my first major projects. Just this year, I was close to campus when my phone died and I was able to go to Student Affairs and get map directions printed. You don’t get that type of rapport everywhere.

Website: trehazelwood.com

Instagram: @trehazelwood

Twitter: @HazelwoodTre

Youtube: @trehazelwood

Image Credits
Tré Hazelwood