Through the Immigrant Lens: Rezeta Veliu on Photography as Cultural Preservation

I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with photographer, Rezeta Veliu, and we dove head-first into the challenges of preserving cultural spaces, the effects of unchecked capitalism, the impact of social media on identity and artistic expression, and the future of subcultures in an increasingly digital world. As an immigrant from war-torn Kosovo, Rezeta shared how various cultures have influenced her both as an individual and as an artist, as well as her desire to capture the overlooked parts of LA. Two of her photos from her award-winning Heartbeat of the City - Los Angeles Series will be featured at the upcoming Fairfax is Dead pop-up event on December 15th at Exhibit A Gallery.

“ANTHONY” COMPTON COWBOYS, COMPTON, LA 22

SF: I'm not an immigrant myself, but I relate through my family. My father is from Iran and moved to Canada just before the Iranian Revolution. My mom was the first in her family to be born in the US, to a Swedish-Finnish mother and British father. My father was around your age when he and his family immigrated, and they faced all kinds of challenges in a new country. I imagine that you experienced similar culture shock when you arrived in New York City as a war refugee from Kosovo. How has your experience as an immigrant shaped your perspective, and how has living in different cities influenced your path as a photographer?

RV: You become molded with every experience. Having come from Kosovo - I was a war refugee and we experienced genocide, but on a much smaller scale than what we're witnessing today. It was a very hard time as a teenager; I remember not wanting to live. We ended up moving back to Kosovo because the entire family was so depressed. But when we moved back, things just weren't the same anymore. Everything had changed post-war. So, my dad thought, “Let’s go start a new life. Let's give our children something better.”

“NEW BRIDGE” DOWNTOWN, LA 22

RV: I missed my friends so much when we moved to New York, and I obviously didn’t speak the language. I had short, red hair and was seen as this total weirdo, European chick wearing orange and yellow. I went to Lincoln High in the Bronx. I just didn’t fit in. And then after a year in New York, it was too busy for my family, so we ended up moving to Houston, Texas. I went from speaking in this New York accent like “Yo, what’s popping, how you doin’?” to thinking “Oh my god, I gotta grow out my hair and buy a pair of cowboy boots.” You forget how much influence every bit of those experiences has on you. And I love country music to this day; I have a part of Texas that’s ingrained in me forever.

“THE UNEXPECTED GUEST” SILVERLAKE, LA 22

RV: At 16, I convinced my parents to let me go on a modeling job for three months - that ended up being four years. And after that, I went to Mexico City. I was modeling and acting, and I always had photography because of being a refugee. I actually wanted to go to Brooks Institute of Photography to be a photo journalist, but my family couldn't afford it, so I just ended up buying a film camera with my modeling money and I taught myself. It was always around; I would show up with a camera everywhere I went.

“BORN + RAISED” CRENSHAW, LA 22

RV: For me, Mexico City was the most enriching part of my life. I lived there 17 years ago, and I got into this crew of people that were extremely creative and molded me into who I am. They opened my brain and my taste in art, fashion, furniture, interior design…everything. I give all credit to that. I felt a connection to the city like I had initially felt back home, so it was really tough to leave after those six years. So, yeah, every experience taught me something. Every place I've lived made me richer in life. I didn't go to college, but I think my travels, hardships, friendships and relationships have taught me the most and have been my biggest accomplishments.

“VALENTINO’S” OAKWOOD, LA 22

SF: Well, you touched on this next question a little bit, which is about finding home since leaving home. You've lived in a lot of really culturally rich areas like Japan, China, Mexico City, Joshua Tree, Houston and New York City. It sounds like Mexico City resonated most with you, and you give a lot of credit to Mexico City for who you are as a person and as an artist today. So would you say that a particular city feels most like home to you now, and why?

RV: It’s so tough. I've felt like such a nomad my entire life. And, even in Mexico City, I felt like a nomad there because I didn't know how long I would stay. But I always wanted to build roots somewhere. After leaving Kosovo, it was really hard to connect to another place, probably because of this subconscious fear that I can lose it again. So, I never really allowed myself to call a place “home.” I’ve moved every year of my life since I was 14, for about 20 years. And the way I could make a home was so quick. I’m like a master in how I can move an entire home, have everything packed and unpacked within one day. When I married my husband, we had to move to London for a bit, and then we bought a house in LA. Now that we have a family, and now that we have bought our dream home, this is home.

“RODEO” BEVERLY HILLS, LA 22

SF: Well, congratulations on that. Let's talk more about LA now. I'm so excited to showcase a couple of your photos from Heartbeat of the City - Los Angeles Series, where you photographed 43 different neighborhoods across LA. As a native, I'm always curious to hear about people's experiences when they first start to explore this city, especially because most people have a certain idea of glamour from TV and movies. What were some of the most unexpected discoveries you made while photographing the city's most diverse communities?

RV: Oh yeah, my goal was not to capture the glitz and glamour, because that was the easiest. I had this project in mind; I just want to go and find the real culture. I want to find the nitty gritty beats of LA that speak the most. There was a lot of research. And one of my greatest experiences that I absolutely loved was meeting the Compton cowboys. A lot of people know about them now, but a lot of people still don’t. I just showed up like, “Hey, I'm this photographer. I'm doing this project. I would love to photograph you guys.” They were so friendly to me. I would have many unsuccessful trips where we'd just hang out, but it was still successful in a different way. They’d have me on a horse and it was such an organic, beautiful way of just meeting them. And then going to Mariachi Plaza, where a lot of LA natives don’t know what that is either. I loved finding places where LA natives asked, “Where is that?”

“MARIACHIS” BOYLE HEIGHTS, LA 22

SF: Isn’t that funny. It’s such a segregated city because it's so large and because there's so much to do in each little pocket. Because I'm from the west side, around Santa Monica, I didn't even go to Silver Lake, or what a lot of people would call the east side, until I was 18. I was raised going to Downtown and Hollywood often, but my local friends and I didn’t explore many other neighborhoods until we were older.

“GAINING ANCIENT WISDOM” WATTS, LA 22

RV: Totally. I think it’s crazy because I grew up in a country where you know every part of your city or even your entire country, because it's so small. When you think about LA, it's just so vast, and it's so rich in culture. You can go to Watts and it has a totally different culture than other areas, but so many people don't really know it, because we're just living in our own bubbles. So, I think that was my driving force - finding these pockets and meeting locals. I'd pull up my camera and I'd say, “Hey, can I take a few rolls of film of you?” Sometimes I would just start snapping, and they wouldn't say anything. Sometimes we'd have a conversation. People were so open to me; I've never had any issues with anybody saying “Oh, don't take a photo of me.”

“BACK FROM THE FUTURE” CHINATOWN, LA 22

SF: When I think about a quintessential LA landmark, I immediately think of Venice Beach. I was born in Santa Monica, so I spent a lot of time biking and skating and hanging around that skatepark. I went to high school in Mar Vista, so once we all got our driver's licenses, we would book it there to catch the sunset before being home for dinner. So out of every place in LA, the Venice boardwalk has the most special place in my heart. Venice has changed a lot, but not the Boardwalk. Out of everything that you've seen in LA as a photographer and now as a local, what is that one iconic spot or landmark for you?

RV: I second everything you said. For me, it's Venice, the untouched part. There are always the same characters there. It’s got endless culture there, like old cars and Muscle Beach. And it’s been like that since I got here. Exactly like you said - you see how much Venice has changed as a whole, but the boardwalk stays the same. My series is heavily focused on Venice.

“SKATEPARK II” VENICE BEACH, LA 22

SF: I don't blame you, I just love it there. Speaking more about LA and the transformations that the city has gone through: I started Fairfax is Dead to examine cultural shifts, especially in response to challenges like the pandemic and the rising cost of living. How do you see your photography contributing to this broader conversation, and what do you envision for the future of LA's creative subcultures?

RV: I try to document the essence of these shifting subcultures before they fully transform or even disappear. That's the fear: is it all going to change? Especially with all this new tech. But photography has a unique way of preserving moments in time, acting as visual archives. So, I see my work as contributing to the broader conversation by highlighting the reality behind the glamorized image of LA, focusing on the communities, spaces and people that are usually overlooked as things shift. I envision a future where resilience and adaptability are central. Rising living costs and the challenges of post-pandemic recovery mean that we creatives are finding new ways to collaborate, create and sustain ourselves. That's so important. And I think this will lead to more underground, authentic spaces where things thrive despite external pressures.

“THE RAT MAN” LOS FELIZ, LA 22

SF: Your type of photography is very much a visual diary, and it's so important to have these historical references to look back on. When people ask me about the meaning behind “Fairfax is Dead,” I tell them that it’s both a literal statement and a metaphor for broader issues like the death of retail, the impact of social media on fashion and unchecked capitalism. It’s really something that could be left to personal interpretation. What does that phrase mean to you?

RV: It really resonates with me. I lived there and I'm seeing that transformation now. “Fairfax is Dead” is a powerful commentary on the shift and how culture, fashion and identity are consumed and represented today. On a literal level, Fairfax represents a location once thriving with unique culture, centered on streetwear and community, which has since been altered by commercialization- trends driven by social media. Social media has been the biggest, craziest change that we’ve been… I guess… not really fortunate to experience. I worry for the next generation.

“FIERCE” CRENSHAW, LA 22

RV: Metaphorically, it speaks to the larger narrative of how places and movements rooted in authenticity and individuality often lose their essence as they become commodified. There’s so much consumerism and the pressure to constantly engage with social media, where trends change at a crazy pace. And so it's a mourning of the spaces and scenes that once felt deeply personal and meaningful. I feel like social media has changed me tremendously, and I have this love/ hate relationship with it. I’m constantly fighting myself, like, “I'm not going to be a part of it. I don't want to do it.” And then I think, “I should do this trend on TikTok where I record myself doing these shots.” But I shouldn't have to do that.

“THE LAST MAN” DOWNTOWN, LA 22

RV: I think it's such a powerful thing that you're doing. I love the show, and I love the meaning behind it. And I just hope that we can create a community of artists where we can kind of backtrack a little bit and just try to do things the way they were once done. Let’s see if we can set a trend where what's happening now is not trying to create a trend.

SF: Exactly. Creating a trend of being anti-trend, which is where I think we’re going. The pendulum is always swinging from one extreme to the other, whether it's political or consumerism. I’ve noticed that at the past few raves that I've been to, a lot less people have been filming with their phones. I feel like there's definitely going to be rebellion against social media. It was so exciting at first, but now we're getting the ick. And we're scared. We see the effects that people like Elon Musk have control over, for example. I think we're going to start appreciating anonymity more. I also love that you mentioned underground subcultures, which is really what subcultures are all about. It's not about being trendy, it's about what’s under the surface. It’s going to be really interesting to see how that plays out in a future so driven by technology.

“MALIBU BEACH” MALIBU, LA 22

RV: All the younger generations, how are they going to evolve with this rapid change, and how are they going to try to preserve these things? Because they don't trust the internet, they know technology can identify them, and it will be there forever. So, with parents that start doing this now, what are these kids gonna think when they grow up? We're fortunate to be living at this time and yet we’re not fortunate. I'm curious to see where it goes and how everybody handles it.

“MUSCLE BEACH” VENICE, LA 22

SF: I think we all are… to be determined. And then on that note, let’s close out with a little more on you. Congratulations, first of all, for winning first prize in the advertising/conceptual category at the 20th International Photography Awards for your Los Angeles series. I'm very excited to have two of those images on display at the Fairfax is Dead: Market 2024 pop-up on December 15th. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what's next for you and your work? Are there any upcoming exhibitions or projects that people can look out for? How can we continue to follow your process?

RV: I have another group exhibition at the end of the month at Gallery 612 in Santa Monica. And I won Analog Sparks, so they invited me to be part of their international group exhibition (House of Lucie Athens), which I'm really excited about. I'm also working with Yiwei Gallery, which is my first gallery that I’ve worked with here in Venice. We're working on a proper exhibition of my LA series, because I haven't had one yet. And other than that, I just finished my New York and Nashville series, where I kind of dissipate the city the same way that I did with LA. So I'm hoping that I can exhibit those works as well in the near future.

“YESTERDAY’S FUTURE” VAN NUYS, LA 22

SF: Well, we all look forward to seeing your work at the show and seeing your projects in the future. I loved this conversation; maybe there will be a podcast at some point. It’s always inspiring to hear artists’ stories and backgrounds. We really need to embrace humanity a little more right now, especially with people that are different from us. So, this has been such a cool process for me, thank you.

You can find two of Rezeta’s photographs above at the Fairfax is Dead: Market 24 Art and Fashion Pop-Up at Exhibit A Gallery on Fairfax on Sunday, December 15th, from 6-10PM. The event is free, and tickets are not required for entry.

Rezeta’s contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rezetaveliu.com

• Instagram: @rezetaphotography