Malawi, November 2022. Based on a true story.

Under the shade of a tree with roots strong and intertwined like sailing knots, there she is—her round eyes like buttons, small and radiant like a keepsake. A shadow crosses her face. I look at her with tenderness, and she watches me back with piercing eyes, suspended between fear and surprise. A pout is drawn on her face, stubbornly refusing to fade.

Her slightly dusted pink dress stands out like a beacon against her skin, dark as the night. I try to speak to her, but she doesn’t react. And yet, she keeps looking at me. I extend my hand, and only then—perhaps reassured by this more familiar form of communication—she gathers courage. She moves closer and, in an instant, her small hand grips mine firmly.

She does not smile, her eyebrows remain arched, but her hand stays. The only hint of a smile comes from the boy beside her—her brother, or maybe a cousin or friend. He’s a little older and seems more at ease. We remain like this, with the red earth between our hands, adding a slight roughness to our connection.

I don’t know her name. I tried asking, but she doesn’t speak—at least, not with words. I see my own reflection in her wariness, or perhaps in her carefully closed shell, like a butterfly unwilling to leave its cocoon. And yet, I realize later, an invisible thread has already passed between us.

Le proprie fragilità abitano uno spazio ristretto dove relazionarsi tra loro è (forse) l’unica via d’uscita.

[en]

One’s fragilities occupy a confined space, where interacting with one another is (perhaps) the only way out.

Una sera a Roma in primavera, vista Tevere. Due sconosciuti, un attimo pieno e vivo.

[en]

One evening in Rome during spring, with a view of the Tiber. Two strangers, a moment full and alive.

Antibes, Francia. I muri arancioni e caldi del Sud della Francia fanno da sfondo a un incontro possibile solo d’estate.

[en]

Antibes, France. The warm orange walls of the South of France serve as the backdrop for a meeting possible only in summer.

Il volto a forma di palloncino è un simbolo del lasciare andare, per lasciare spazio al nuovo, in costruzione. Senza perdersi.

[en]

The balloon-shaped face is a symbol of letting go, making space for something new in the making—without losing oneself.

DALLA CASA VIENE VIA LA SCALA

TI RICORDI QUANDO PENSAVAMO STESSI MEGLIO

CI SEI TRA LE PIEGHE

CI SEI..

[en]

THE STAIRCASE COMES AWAY FROM THE HOUSE

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE THOUGHT YOU WERE GETTING BETTER

YOU’RE THERE BETWEEN THE FOLDS

YOU’RE THERE

Quel mondo che nessuno conosce, se non tu.

[en]

That world that no one knows, except for you.

La treccia è un elemento ricorrente nelle mie opere sia come nodo da sciogliere che come qualcosa di nuovo che cresce.

[en]

The braid is a recurring element in my works, both as a knot to unravel and as something new that grows.

Ho fatto un sogno e c’eri tu, ma non riuscivi a muoverti, una statua di gesso con il mare dentro.
[EN]

I had a dream, and you were there, but you couldn’t move—a plaster statue with the sea inside.

Quel Sé sommerso.

[EN]

That submerged Self.

La Luna come femminile e come ricerca di Sè.
[EN]

The Moon as feminine and as a quest for Self.

Il volto di spalle è altro dei motivi ricorrenti dei miei primi lavori, significativo di un momento in cui ancora non sapevo chi ero. La parete di colore sono le emozioni negative che ci bloccano come un muro troppo alto. Occorre uscire e “diventare colore”, inteso come scoperta del vero io e accettazione di più sentimenti solo allora potranno fluire.
[EN]

The face seen from behind is another recurring motif in my early works, symbolizing a time when I still didn’t know who I was. The colored wall represents the negative emotions that block us, like a wall too high to climb. One must break free and “become color,” understood as the discovery of the true self and the acceptance of more emotions—only then can they begin to flow.