Melissa X. DeAun
In Practice
Melissa X. DeAun is a visual storyteller and educator exploring the human and ecological connections that shape our world. Through layered photography, soundscapes, and mixed media, she creates work that moves between presence, place, and community. Her practice illuminates the subtle frequencies between people, environments, and stories, inviting curiosity, reflection, and engagement. Rooted in relational ethics and socio-ecological justice, Melissa’s work blends portraiture, music documentation, and collaborative field-based projects to reveal the beauty, resonance, and meaning that emerge when we attune to one another and the world around us.
Ways to Work Together
01
Socio-Ecological Justice Storytelling & Multimodal Narrative Work
I create narratives that explore relationships among people, place, and ecological connection through a multimodal approach that interweaves photography, cartography, soundscapes, writing, and mixed-media forms. My work centers community knowledge, land-based relationships, and the ways personal and collective healing emerge through connection with the natural world.
For: community organizations, land-based initiatives, educators, researchers, and collaborators seeking visual and narrative work grounded in justice, relationality, and a deep attentiveness to place.
02
Fine Art Portraiture & Surrealist Conceptual Portrait Narratives
My portrait work blends fine-art photography with symbolic and surrealist elements to reflect identity, emotion, and your own unique inner ecology and landscapes. I approach portraits as slow, intentional collaborations shaped by presence and meaning.
For: individuals, artists, and community members seeking imagery that reaches beneath the surface and honors both story and imagination.
03
Reverb Atlas: Music Photography & Autoethnographic Soundscape Documentation
'Reverb Atlas: Dispatches from the Frequencies Between Us' is my ongoing practice of documenting soundscapes, place, and community through photography, writing, and lived presence. Rooted in an autoethnographic approach, I work from within the experience itself, attuning to the resonances that move between artist and audience, land and memory, self and collective. This practice acknowledges the layers of history, cultural lineage, and place-based knowledge that shape each moment of sound through my own lens and lived experiences.
For: artists, venues, community partners, and collaborative projects seeking documentation grounded in presence, relational ethics, and attentiveness to the histories and connections held within soundscapes.
04
Education, Youth Workshops & Creative Field Learning
I design learning experiences that integrate photography, mapping, ecological awareness, and reflective practice. These spaces invite young people to explore identity, place, and community through creative inquiry and action.
For: schools, youth programs, community groups, and outdoor learning settings committed to experiential, student-centered, and place-based education.
In Partnership
Contact Information
Collaborate, co-create, or explore possibilities together. Melissa X. DeAun welcomes inquiries from artists, educators, and community partners.
