She received a double degree from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Advertising and Public Relations, and Audiovisual Communication. She then completed the EFTI international master's degree, specializing in Conceptual Photography and Artistic Creation in 2011. In 2013, thanks to a scholarship, she took a specialized course on cinematographic narrative lighting at the same center. After finishing her studies, Irene Cruz began her professional career as a photographer, developing a style centered on the mysterious, private and natural, with light being a very important factor in her work. Later, she also began to work as a video artist, focusing on video as a moving image, maintaining a style very similar to her photography. Later, in 2017, she directed her first feature film as director of photography "Diana", which premiered at the Malaga Film Festival 2018, and which has been screened at various festivals and venues in Spain, Germany, USA, Poland, etc. Irene Cruz has also participated in various fairs such as ARCO or Art Madrid, Positions, Art Basel, Photo Basel. In April 2017 she was the guest artist and image of the Photography Festival La Quatrieme Image in Paris and at Photoespaña. She has taught in schools such as EFTI or TMF in ABBE GenevaArt von Frei, FotoKlubKollektiv or Unicorn, Fiftydots or ACLAM in Barcelona. She also teaches this subject at Freie Universität in Berlin or at UAL in London. Among her mentors, Isabel Muñoz stands out. Eduardo Rodríguez Merchán and Venancio Blanco. Since December 2019, she is part of the national association AEC and CIMA and in Berlin she is part of the organization of Stammtisch Women in Cinema Berlin as well as active member of the collectiveThe Women+ Film Network Berlin. As Director of Photography, in addition to "Diana" she has been the DOP of "Hechos Probados" although she has also made several video clips, advertising campaigns, video art pieces and short documentaries.
Style and characteristics of work
Irene Cruz's work can be framed within conceptual photography. One of the characteristics that stand out most in her work is natural light, especially the light from Northern Europe. In her works, the connection between the cultural and natural aspects of life stands out. She is fascinated by the "liminal", such as the transition between day and night or the tranquillity and restlessness, which she tries to capture and transmit with her works. The characters, both in her photographs and videos, do not usually have a defined character but rather remain anonymous. Their faces are rarely shown, so that the viewer who observes the scene assumes a voyeuristic role, all the more so because these characters are often young women wearing ethereal dresses or nude. Her works often depict scenes in nature, creating a somber and mysterious atmosphere. Through her video art and photographs she presents different contexts such as melancholy, loneliness and exploration, all of which are linked to the feeling of loneliness and from a self-referential point of view. An intrinsically personal style can be appreciated in her work as a director of photography.
