Mariana Cheoo

“I watch a lot of films, listen to a lot of music, and I like to talk to people...this is where I get the inspiration for the stories I create.”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live/work now?

Mariana: I was born and live in Lisbon, Portugal. I was a restless and curious child, willing to explore the world (but my goal is to live in the countryside. That is my comfort zone and where I can express myself). As a full-time employee, I work in an IT multinational company.

How did you first get into photography?

I always loved to travel the world, as I got inspired by the places and the people I met after a long trip through Southeast Asia and turning 30 years old. I decided to grab an object I had never dreamed of gaining interest in: a camera, to lead the audience on a journey through the soul and guide them through my eyes, leading them to feel how I felt, with the power of the image.

What is the feeling you like to express with your creative work?

Sadness. This word is powerful in every perspective. Capturing this emotion is hard and exhausting but beautiful at the same time. Feeling anything is good, even if that feeling is sadness.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

I watch a lot of films, listen to a lot of music, and I like to talk to people...this is where I get the inspiration for the stories I create.

What is your favorite subject to photograph?

The story of each person as a form of therapy. Through the visual stories I create, it is also a way to express each person’s emotions.

What’s the best piece of advice about photography that you’ve ever received?

Once, a professional photographer said to me: “Mariana, you have talent. It will not be an easy journey, but when you do it with passion, you will not feel the effort but the reward of it. Fight and believe in yourself. You don’t need an expensive camera. You have the rarest asset in this world: You are an emotional and sensitive person. You have talent. Feel the emotions boiling in you. Express yourself.”