ABOUT ME

     I was born in Bolzano, Italy, a small city in the Italian Alps, and immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, when I was eight years old. My experience as an immigrant and an outsider in a new culture awakened a curiosity about how people adapt, create community, and express identity. That curiosity eventually led me to study anthropology and photography, where I discovered that both disciplines seek to understand the human experience through careful observation.

     I had the privilege of studying with W. Eugene Smith, whose work profoundly shaped my approach to photography. Smith believed that understanding people required time, patience, and genuine human connection. He immersed himself in the lives of his subjects, earning their trust before telling their stories. From him I learned that photography is not simply about making pictures; it is about building relationships, listening deeply, and approaching every person with respect and compassion. His mentorship shaped the way I approach documentary photography and helped me find my own voice.

Throughout my career, I have been drawn to diverse cultures and communities, many of them overlooked or misunderstood. Whether photographing punks in New York's East Village, young people in the South Bronx, farming families in the Italian Alps, immigrants in Queens, or the traditions of Italian Americans, I am interested in how people create identity, preserve memory, and build community. My work seeks to move beyond stereotypes to reveal the dignity, resilience, and humanity that connect us.

     Through photographs and oral histories, I seek to create a visual record that encourages understanding across cultures while honoring the lives and traditions of the people who invite me into their worlds. Across my work, I am interested in the ways people create identity, preserve memory, and build community. My hope is that these photographs invite curiosity, empathy, and a deeper understanding of one another.