Noelia Madiedo: From Behavioral Therapy to Capturing Continents
Noelia Madiedo
She left behavioral therapy for the Himalayas, learned to photograph the soul of a place, and then found the gong. A life arranged around attention.
Singapore is, quietly, the largest audience this archive has, and Noelia Madiedo is part of why I understand that. She arrived there in 2010 the way I have arrived in a few places myself, following a pull she could not quite explain, camera in hand. Before that she had been a behavioral therapist for children. Then she went to the Himalayas, and she did not come back the same. I know that kind of trip. This is a conversation about what happens when attention becomes a vocation.
The Turn
Born in the Dominican Republic to a Cuban father and a Dominican mother, Noelia graduated from FIU in Miami and gave herself to the demanding work of behavioral modification therapy for children with autism and disabilities. It is patient, depleting work. Looking for balance and something deeper, she answered a call to the far East, to Nepal and Bhutan, and found both peace and a purpose. The camera became a bridge. She began photographing the essence of the people and places she had fallen for.
The Lens
Since moving to Singapore her lens has widened: the raw power of Africa's megafauna, the verdant nostalgia of the Cuban countryside, the festivals of Bhutan during the fire blessing ceremonies. Now splitting her time between Singapore, Paris, and Miami, she works at capturing not just a place but its spirit. A visitor to her blog once told her the images enveloped them, as though they were standing inside the scene. The stylist Martha Graeff went further, and said they hypnotize.
The Gong
There is a second instrument in this story, and it is not the camera. In Singapore, Noelia encountered the gong for the first time, an explosive sensation she says never left her cellular memory. She studied it for years. Today, as the founder of NAMO, she teaches what she calls sound bending, pairing handmade gongs with Paiste planetary gongs, and people travel from around the world to learn. Her devotion to Buddhist philosophy is the thread running through all of it: the lands, the cultures, and now the sound.
I love Buddhist philosophy, which is why my work so often features the lands, culture, and people where Buddhism flourishes.Noelia Madiedo
In Conversation
Greatest inspirations or influences?
The initial inspiration is always the subject. That is how I got started in photography. I wanted to capture the beautiful images I saw in my travels. But what keeps me going is the positive response I get from people who come across my photographs. It is the boost that keeps me behind the lens and looking for the perfect shot.
Most interesting response to your photography so far?
My photographs appear on several websites and I also post on social media, where I get a lot of feedback and positive comments. Recently, a visitor to my blog said, your images take me to these places and I am enveloped by the scene. An observation that fashionista Martha Graeff elaborated on when she said on her blog that my photos hypnotize and make you feel you are a part of the scene and actually there.
Most interesting shoot or travel photography adventure?
To me they are all special, otherwise I would probably skip the shoot and just enjoy being a tourist. But if I had to pick one as a highlight, it would have to be my trip to the festivals in Bhutan during the fire blessing ceremonies.
What are some places you still want to travel to shoot?
Right now, Tibet is at the top of my list. I would also love to visit Burma to photograph the tribal women with their long necks and tattooed faces.
Upcoming projects?
I am planning an exhibit to present my work in Miami, which has an increasingly important art scene. I also have fashion projects in the works that will involve my travel photography as inspiration.
Anything else you would like to share with our audience?
I have a blog, worldtravelwithme.com, where I offer travel suggestions and tips. I also post upcoming events and photography on my Facebook page. Finally, I want to thank everyone for the support I have received on my journey of discovery and my travels. I love Buddhist philosophy, which is why my work so often features the lands, culture, and people where Buddhism flourishes.
About Antakly Projects
Antakly Projects has been in conversation with artists and creatives from around the world since 2003.
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