Biography of an Angeleno
“I try to bring out the ugly, make it beautiful for everyone else to see and appreciate it a bit more than its stereotypes.”
— Enkrypt Los Angeles
Deeply rooted in and inspired by Los Angeles, Enkrypt Los Angeles' work not only tells the stories of the streets but of artists too. Head IT technician of one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world turned touring photographer /videographer with the help of her close friend and well-known rapper, Reverie, Enkrypt escaped the corporate world to follow a blooming passion sprouted from picking up a camera. Transitioning from the tech industry, where Enkrypt set aside her creativity for years, to that of a creative one was a process.
“I worked for one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world and in working there, I shut down my creative side completely for years. When I landed there, it was just figuring out mechanics. I didn’t even think about drawing or painting, things I used to do when I was younger.
They gave me a camera at work to take pictures of all the physical damages that came through the office for warranty purposes and that’s how I first got my hands on a camera. So, there I was with this camera, not knowing how to use it still. I started getting that creative itch again and got obsessed. And now we are here today."
Enkrypt is influenced by gang culture and telling stories about black and brown folks. She grew up in Northeast LA, Highland Park daughter of a single mom who struggled to get her daughters by. They were victims of domestic violence and their Mom fought every day to keep them safe and fed. The streets raised Enkrypt and was a product of her environment for a long time, knowing that one day she would be able to earn the wisdom to change her reality. Enkrypt, has made a lot of portraits of people who she calls her friends/homies, gang members or not. She claims that their environment was what created them, and they will never be ashamed of it. Enkrypt tries to bring out the ugly, make it beautiful for everyone else to see and appreciate it a bit more than its stereotypes.