WOMEN STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

This shot was taken at the annual Melbourne Cup Carnival–the biggest day of horse racing in Australia–in a marquee area called the 'Birdcage.’ This woman was having her photo taken by three photographers, so I snuck around the back of her to get the fascinator next to the yellow building and against the backdrop of the sky, making her fascinator look like the sun.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

When I look at a person, I see a story. I imagine what their house looks like, what books they read, what are their dreams. This man caught my attention. He evoked some kind of warmth in me, jazz and poetry. When a person is in a big city, they can have a feeling of being invisible. I knew he wouldn’t notice me. As I was going to press the shutter button, he looked right at me. Our worlds connected, and one sight ended the anonymity of the crowd.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

As a newcomer to Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, in 1986, I used my camera to engage with the community. The neighborhood streets were lively places to gather. I wanted to capture that warmth and openness. Now, years later, I find myself connecting with people on screens instead of stoops. I posted this photo to an online photography community and was contacted by the granddaughter of one of the women. She wrote me about her strong, smart, and kind grandmother who owned several businesses in the neighborhood and was respected by all. I was touched that this passing moment has a lasting story.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

The beach is a street filled with fantasy and irony. Its brightly-lit, vast open expanse is a photographer’s dream; nothing is hidden. Kodak advertised their first personal use cameras with pictures of families enjoying an outing on the beach. A hundred years later, the technology has changed but the sentiment remains the same.

Back cover of the “Women Street Photographers” book

When I saw the two 11-year-old girls in the late afternoon they were playing a popular game on a side street in Ghana's capital Accra. Like many other children in their area, the two normally have not much time to play and enjoy themselves, because they have to go school and at home they must help their parents in their daily work. I don't know where their skirts came from, but they are certainly not Ghanaian or African dresses. In Accra, this kind of skirts are sold at the secondhand clothing market, and especially the young girls love to wear them on Sundays in church, or at festivals and family celebrations. While I was observing and photographing the two girls, they were not distracted from my camera, although they had of course noticed me. Maybe my presence made them even more happy and helped to make their game become a joyful dance, along with their beautiful skirts in which they looked like two beautiful ballerinas.

This image also was also exhibited with Women in Street in New York and Brussels in 2019.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

While I was photographing the unusual red house, a boy suddenly walked into my frame. He carried a washbasin on his head and some clothes under his arm. I therefore assume that he was on his way to the well. But that day there was no water in the whole region, the boy was maybe on his way back home, because nobody could wash that day.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

Women Street Photographers annual exhibition, NYC, 2020- Patti Fogarty grant winner- 1st place.

The fishermen on the coast of Ghana usually come back with their fresh catch in the morning. That's why the fish traders wait for them early on the beach. There, the women pass their waiting time with all sorts of little activities, while the men and children prefer to wait in the canoes parked on the beach. From up there they can better keep an eye out for the returning fishermen.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

I sat on a terrace in Ghana’s capital, Accra, and observed a group of girls playing with unusual balloons. Suddenly, a boy ran between them and, despite loud protests from the girls, grabbed one of the balloons. He ran in my direction, positioned himself quickly in front of me with the intention that I should photograph him, then took off with his prey.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October, 2021.

I explored the Kantamanto market in Accra, I observed these young women, who were busy unpacking and sorting some huge sacks of freshly-imported secondhand goods. During this work there were always surprises, because the sacks contained not only clothes, but all kinds of objects that people in the western world had thrown away, including a big, white doll and a huge toy elephant, which caused a lot of laughter.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

While walking in a fishing village in southern Ghana, I noticed the green, painted house of a photographer. While getting closer, I saw a girl in a yellow dress stepping out of the photographer's studio. I looked towards the neighbors, and before anyone noticed me, I quickly took this picture and moved on.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

On the way to the market, I discovered this painted wall that immediately captivated me. But it wasn't until a few days later that I went back to the site to take photos. As I wanted to attract as little attention as possible, I first observed from afar what the women were carrying on their heads. Only when I saw a good scene coming would I approach the wall briefly and take a few pictures. The photo shown here was one of them.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

I was on my way to a church in rural Ghana when I discovered this cloth with flower ornaments. It covered a wall where female church members usually dress up before going to the Sunday mass. Since I believed that there was no one left in the changing rooms, I made a few photos of the cloth when suddenly a girl walked out of a room. As she looked so beautiful in her church dress, I asked her spontaneously for a portrait. She agreed, posed for a photo and then we left together to attend the Sunday mass.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

It was raining, and I sought shelter under the roof of a house. Three children stood opposite me along a wall, also hiding from the rain. The little girl suddenly started to provoke her sister, who was standing on the left side, but the bigger girl didn't put up with it for long, raised her arm and made a gesture as if she wanted to punish the small sister. She was joking around, it was all just a game.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

I was in a village where there was a festival that day. As I was walking home in the late afternoon, I saw a man walking in my direction with a flag in his hand. I decided to wait for him in front of this colourful house with a mural. As he passed the house, a fisherman came out of the door, so I had not only the flag bearer but also the fisherman in my picture, along with the man painted on the mural.   

NYC Exhibition, 2025

On my way to my guesthouse in a small village in Ghana, I passed two young women chatting in front of a house with a blue wall.  I immediately liked them against this colorful background, and, as I often do when photographing people in Ghana, I asked them if I could take a photo of them. They were both very shy, but eventually one agreed, while the other hid in the doorway, peeking out curiously.  In December 2024, I went back to the village and returned this photograph to the girl who had bravely allowed herself to be photographed.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

Early in the morning, as I watched the market women at work and secretly took a few photos of them, I noticed a trader sitting opposite me who was obviously watching me. Since market women generally dislike being photographed, I expected her to turn away when I pointed my camera at her. However, when our eyes met and I quickly raised my camera, she just smiled and let me continue secretly photographing the women passing by.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

An ordinary summer day in 2023, on the beach of San Pere Pescador.

Two ladies enjoy the moment, when a child's lost flying float enters the scene.

Me in the water.

I have been lucky enough to inmortalize this surreal moment.

Rome Exhibition, Italy, 2024

It was sunset at one of my favorite beaches in Andalucia, and I tried to catch the long shadows of the people sitting in the fisherman's bar. The red sunset gleamed on the yellow wall. It was a magical light, and I was lucky the woman walking by turned her head at the right time and swung her arms so freely.

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

This was taken in Sonepur Fair, which is supposedly Asia's Biggest Cattle Fair. There are people who visit the fair on the occassion of the karthik purnima—the full moon—in order to get there sins washed away in the holy Sone River. This person with his group was sitting inside of a plastic sheet to protect himself from the cold air. The person's eye along with the plastic sheet flowing through his forehead made me think about Destiny.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

I was traveling through Estonia in June 2019 when I came across this bathing beauty. I wasn't sure if the barbeque was hers and if she brought any food to cook. I noticed her folksy cushion placed on top of the blanket. It struck me that she was sitting quietly in a large field without any reading material or cell phone to occupy her time. In addition, it was a very bright day, yet she lacked sunglasses. It made me feel that she must have been content with the simple things in life: sunshine, quiet, and a day of rest.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

I was walking past the normally unremarkable Penn Station Plaza when the  extraordinary light drew me in. It enveloped everyone and everything in the plaza—passersby, bystanders, silhouettes, shadows, and reflections—in a warm, golden embrace. How magical! I made many memorable photographs that day, but this one of a group of women remains a personal favorite. I realized there are streets of gold everywhere in New York; all one has to do is pause and look.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

While walking the streets of Harar I saw this little boy playing football, a cute simple scene. Thought of taking a few shots but knew I had to be quick and it’s when I pressed the shutter that his flipflop came off and swung through the air … It was a funny moment for both of us.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

Fascinated by the activity along the banks of the Ganges River, especially in the morning, I spotted these pilgrims bathing in the sacred river underneath their hanging clothes. Each one of them was deeply absorbed in the bathing ritual, oblivious of what was happening around them. I composed the image hoping to convey the atmosphere I was experiencing.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

Walking down the streets of Moree (Cape Coast, Ghana), I noticed this lady in her doorway. I liked her strong face and the way she posed. I was also attracted by the yellow wall. It was very busy around her house and I had to wait a bit for the elements to fall into place. I had a nice chat with the lady afterwards.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October 2021

Walking the streets of Harar one late afternoon, I noticed some young girls playing with a ball. They were really enjoying themselves. I saw the movement of the scarves as they were jumping and catching the ball. I stayed with them for a while, making some shots and got lucky when I captured this image of the girl with the ball tangled up in her scarf.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

Walking along the banks of the river Ganges, far from the pilgrim activity, I saw this boatman watching the river. I was attracted by the quiet scene, his pose, and the alignment of the boats.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

I was walking outside the city wall of Harar when I came across these kids playing on a discarded pinball machine. As I was trying to compose my image, this boy turned around and looked straight at my camera, that’s when I pushed the shutter.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

Tarlabasi is one of my favorite neighbourhoods in Istanbul. In the late afternoon, kids come out to play in the streets. One afternoon, I saw these boys having fun climbing on the ruins of an old building, I just had to wait for the right composition before pressing the shutter.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

This corner in Harar is one of my favorite spots, there is always something happening. This time, young girls were leaving school. When the girl on the right appeared and passed in front my camera, I pushed the shutter hoping for a good image.

Rome Exhibition, Italy, 2024

While I stayed in Ngor (Senegal) I would take the same walk every late afternoon, and nothing much would happen along the road back to the hotel until that Sunday evening. Kids had come out to play, and the place was buzzing. These girls were having a lot of fun skipping rope. I loved watching their game and interacting with them while trying to make a few images.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

This image was taken in Matemwe, Zanzibar. Behind the nice seaside hotels there is a poor village where kids come out to play on the streets after school. While shooting some children in a very nice afternoon light I spotted this boy, standing alone with his red lollipop, when I saw the strong shadow I pressed the shutter. The small boy in the corner was a bonus …   

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

I took this photo in Pantelleria at the Mirror Lake of Venus, one of the most evocative places on this magical Italian island. Its color that goes from light green to turquoise and the silence that surrounds it will lead you into a surreal dimension. It is the extinct crater of an ancient volcano where the waters are hot and full of sulphur, and the seabed is covered with thermal mud with exceptional beneficial properties for the skin. The woman, lost in her thoughts, with the thermal mud dripping down her back was perfect to describe that magical atmosphere.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

This photograph is from Varanasi, India. A man is during his daily morning laundry activities at the Ganges River. I saw his shadow formation on the fabric because of the severe light, waited for a perfect moment and clicked when most of the body formed a shadow on it.

Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

A quick shot of a father-son duo frolicking and enjoying the sea at Dadar Chowpatty, Mumbai, India. The horse framing them represents the rapid speed at which both the horse and childhood travel. While the time passes around them, this father-son duo is lost in the joy of that moment, bonding over these sea splashes.

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

The picture here might seem like a group of birds frolicking on the icy lake on a winter morning, planning to skate their way into fun, but actually, they are searching for some food to fill themselves with. Due to the lack of food in the extreme cold and frozen lake, they are forced to peck their way through the ice in search of food. Srinagar, Kashmir, India

NYC Exhibition, 2023

As I strolled on the beach of Tamil Nadu, India, the calm waves of the cerulean ocean caught my attention with their beautiful foam patterns. While I was engulfed in the marine beauty a young lad sought the endless playful possibilities with his surfing board by the bay.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

Istanbul, Galata Bridge. We were both mesmerized by the beauty of the afternoon light, me on her and she on the sunset over the Bosporus. A brief encounter, both of us looking at entirely different things.

Artist Residency Short List, 2025

Artist Statement:

In the last few decades, we have witnessed increasing levels of political correctness and homogenization of culture in Australia. I believe street photography offers an important counter to these trends. As a street photographer, I capture authenticity, documenting people’s individuality and how they use their environments. I strive to represent our times with honesty.

Still images, when curated, can tell a very powerful story—speaking to different types of people and how we live in our streets. What I want to learn through this residency is the craft of developing an idea and the skill of curation to tell a story in a body of work that I’m proud of.

The series of images I have submitted, “All Creatures Great and Small” represents the evolution of my work at this point in time. I look to tell stories within images, sometimes simple moments and others with multiple layers. I’m drawn to color as I look for unexpected meats, carefully framing to allow the viewer to look into the moment and feel their way through the frame stirring their curiosity.

This series is my ode to the daily dance of life in India witnessing the unexpected and pragmatic juxtaposition of the domestic, devotional and work life, where resiliency in the face of adversity, joy in celebration and an integrated relationship with animals is a very present foundation for all life.

I aspire to becoming a street photographer recognized for making a significant contribution. My father reminded me of my dreams in one of our last conversations before his passing over a decade ago. He told me it was me that was holding me back when it came to realizing my photographic potential. I hold his thoughts close to me as I pursue my photographic journey.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

This photograph was taken at the Pushkar Fair, India. I was intrigued by the humor of the situation, there were so many layers to the scene. It made me smile.

1st Runner Up for the 2026 Artist Residency

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Like the words from a Split Enz song: I see red...

At first, I didn't notice the pattern emerging in my photographs. Again and again the color red appeared, bold, unapologetic, impossible to ignore. It was subconscious at first, but once seen, it couldn't be unseen. I began to ask: why red? Red is the color of blood, of life pulsing through us. It's the universal signal of passion, danger, seduction, and survival. It arrests the eye and stirs the body, raising heartbeats, summoning emotion, provoking response. It is the color of lovers and rebels, of celebration and warning, of warmth and fury. No other color sits so comfortably in contradiction. In an age of constant distraction, red insists on presence. It demands attention, holds space, and refuses to fade quietly. Perhaps that's why I keep returning to it, it's a visual language of feeling, of urgency, of being fully alive. This series explores the power of red, not just as pigment, but as provocation. Whether splashed across a wall, woven into fabric, or catching the light in a fleeting moment, red becomes the thread that pulls the viewer in and invites you to feel, not just see.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

Melbourne Cup 2024. For the fashionistas, it's less about the horses and more about about dressing up, putting on a fabulous hat, and basking in the atmosphere. Captivated by this moment of rest, or perhaps exhaustion as these women paused for a moment, I wonder if they ever caught a glimpse of a horse that day, probably not...

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I took this picture on a beach during one of my trips. The surf was covered in abandoned nets that twisted all along the shoreline. The light of the setting sun added to the surreal feel of the scene. When I saw the two men coming, my heart thumped. I moved to the side slightly and framed them through the meshes of a protruding net.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

I was born in Rio de Janeiro, a city that is also referred to by Brazilians as 'a cidade maravilhosa', the wonderful city. Its strong light, the water of the ocean and the hills on which it spreads, combine to create a setting with a peculiar quality that is hard to define in other terms than magic.

There is something I find very compelling in the way in which people interact with water. Its liquid surface reflects the light in ever-changing and unpredictable ways, that I enjoy to try and capture.

Kuala Lumpur Street Photography Festival, 2019

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

This photo is part of a project on women that constitutes the core of my first book, The Other Half of the Sky.

I photographed women on the streets of different countries without ever talking to them. I became intrigued by the mystery of their lives and the possible narratives I could imagine about them.

I wanted to use an aesthetic remindful of fashion photography and even advertising so as to open questions about the image of women in our society and the role ideals of glamour and the erotic have in shaping it.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

I took this photo in Rio de Janeiro, the city where I was born and that I left as a child to go study abroad. My siblings and I weren't allowed in the sun, but I could look and take in the light and the gentle movement of the people on the beach. As I revisited the city and the beach of Ipanema many years later, I tried to capture the memories that came back to me, transfigured by my experiences abroad and by the many changes the city has undergone.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

Photographing for me is always an exploration, always an adventure. I never set out to photograph something particular or a story. I let my eyes guide me. Where they take me is unknown to me: I love photography, because it allows me to be open to the world and the people around me in ways that always surprise me.

Mostly, I am drawn to people: having a camera is for me a great justification to approach people from different walks of life and burst the bubble I was brought up in while taking part in their experiences.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

I enjoying playing with what is visible and what is hidden, as it can open up possibilities for narratives or stories to be unfolded within a single image.

For that reason, I often experiment with reflections and try to photograph through surfaces to increase the enigmatic quality of my photographs.

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Paris Exhibition, 2021

This series is part of my new book, Águas de Ouro. In this project, I explore my memories of Rio de Janeiro, the city where I was born and that I left as a child to study abroad. As I revisited the city and the beach of Ipanema many years later, I tried to capture the memories that came back to me, transfigured by my experiences abroad and by the many changes the city has undergone.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

I took this photograph in Outer Banks, North Carolina. When I was walking along the sandy beaches, I noticed some kids playing frisbee and thought it would be fun to photograph them. I positioned myself so as to capture the slanting light of the setting sun and, as the kid in the foreground stretched his arms up to capture the high flying frisbee, I clicked on the shutter release button.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

When the pandemic brought the world to a standstill in 2020, Cattaneo Adorno noticed time began moving in strange ways, stretching endlessly into some unknown beyond but, if not preserved, disappearing from memory as though it never occurred. She began to feel as though she were accumulating “scraps” of time layering upon itself. Determined to give this experience form, Cattaneo Adorno began traveling through the inner space of her imagination. Delving through her archive, she began collaging unrelated images to create a series of new work that blurs the boundaries of reality and illusion as a metaphor for the mind.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

This photograph is part of my project on Rio de Janeiro, the city where I was born, that became a book, Águas de Ouro, published by Radius Books in 2020. As people ran, played, and splashed around me on Ipanema Beach, memories of my childhood came back to me, like reflected images bathed in golden light.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

I noticed this girl in a seaside bar as I was walking in search of pictures in a late afternoon in Barbados. There was a loud noise of brass instruments coming from the venue, as a group of people seemed engaged in the celebrations of an event with great clamour. This girl stood out, as she was separated from the orchestra and the crowd. She seemed to be taking a moment of respite from the heat and the noise. She looked beautiful in her white uniform as she gracefully fanned herself. I stopped and took the picture.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I took this picture in London at an exhibition of light displays. As the colors of the light changed to blue, the woman turned around, and I clicked to take the picture. The patterns on the background wall and on the woman's face, combined with her strong features, made me think of a cubist painting, and I smiled thinking she could be my Picasso Woman.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

I took this picture in India, while traveling there in one of my first photographic journeys. Having discovered photography later in life, India represented a bountiful opportunity–chaotic and overwhelming at times, but always inspirational and exciting. The girl in the picture struck me because of her poise and elegance, the bright red of her dress contrasting against the white bark of the tree. On a closer look, I noticed the hands embracing the trunk and thought it was funny how an image that seemed so straightforward could mystify reality and make the viewers question what they are seeing.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

This photograph is part of a book I published in 2022 called Scarti di Tempo ('scraps of time' in Italian). This work is a collection of images that I have taken following the experience of the pandemic, when I felt I was living in a surreal, parallel reality. I decided to express this feeling by photographing reflections, as they can layer what we see in complex ways, creating images that are often confused but that can also reveal an ephemeral beauty.

Rome Exhibition, Italy, 2024

This photo is part of my new project, "Ten Years," a reflection on my decade of photography presented in a book and an exhibition.   

The photos of the project are printed in golden metallic ink,  a technique evoking my memories of carnival dancers in Rio de Janeiro, where I was born. For me, their bodies covered in gold paint represent a real celebration of life.

I inverted some of the images, like this one, to make them look like photographic negatives, so as to offer another perspective on reality and invite the viewers to question what they are seeing.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

I took this photograph in Rio the Janeiro, the city where I was born, but that I left when I was a little girl.  As I started photographing, I began to revisit Rio and rediscovered my childhood through the pictures: little by little, fragments of memories came back to me, transposed by the many changes the city has gone through the years, but still very vivid and luminous. I eventually published a book, Águas de Ouro, with the images I took at that time.  This photograph wasn't included, so I am happy it can now be shown here.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

I took this photograph on Santa Monica Pier, as I was walking and looking for pictures on a late afternoon.  As always when I am out with my camera, I wasn’t trying to capture something specific, but instead let my eyes and intuition guide me towards a glimpse of beauty.  I was paying attention to reflections, as I enjoy the way they reconfigure the world around me in fresh and surprising ways. When I saw the shadow of this young woman moving across the frame, my heart filled with wonder, and I clicked to take the picture.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

Any visitor to a major Japanese city is likely to feel a moment of disorientation when a stream of people moves towards them and completely surrounds them. As the crowd advances with steady steps, it is rare for anyone to pause or meet someone else's gaze. I was then taken by surprise when a young man stopped, and with a sudden sense of wonder I quickly raised my camera to capture the moment. His face, illuminated by the lights of the shop behind him, brightened the rainy day and added human warmth to what is often a very impersonal experience.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

Taken at sunrise during a boat trip on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India.

In the distance, the movement of the people seemed like a dance rehearsed for a long time. A chaos in harmony.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October, 2021

I was walking in the waterfalls of Aculco. At the end of my visit, I came across a wedding celebration. The place, a remote area in the middle of the forest, had been transformed into a kind of ballroom. I immediately noticed the boy with the ice cream. I followed him with my camera for a while. He seemed unaware of my presence—hat ice cream was all that mattered to him. Aculco, México, November 2020.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

I was shooting at Soho, NY, when I saw this woman walking down the street. I thought she was very photogenic, and the light was perfect at that moment of the day. Suddenly, she stopped in front of me to take a look at the mirror. I was standing just beside this mirror and literally she gave me the picture. I had a chance to do several shots, and I finally picked this one.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

This photograph was captured at Dong Ba Market, located in the historic city of Hue, Vietnam in January, 2024.

2026 Artist Residency Short List

Artist Statement:

IG @vita_flumen

Artist Statement:

I came to photography later than most—after a career change at forty. For the past ten years, I’ve been building a life around image-making, navigating a landscape that often reserves its opportunities for the very young or newly “emerging.” But I’ve learned that beginning again later in life offers something different: a sensitivity to nuance, to what hides in plain sight, to the quiet in-between moments that carry emotional weight. Street photography has taught me the value of intention. Over time, I’ve come to understand that even the most fleeting gesture can hold complexity—and that the depth of an image often lies in what seems, at first, superficial. My work is inspired by the notion of The Infraordinary, as described by Georges Perec: a call to notice what we usually ignore, to document what is habitual rather than exceptional. I’m drawn to fragments, to atmosphere, to the emotional charge of overlooked spaces and gestures. This project, Living in Neon Cuts, explores the fleeting, film-like moments in public urban spaces after dark. It focuses on the environments where nightlife unfolds—streets, doorways, subway platforms, diners, bars—places where the ordinary becomes atmospheric, and the line between fiction and reality begins to blur.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

On a brutally cold winter day, the only activity on the Boardwalk was an old woman feeding a flock of seagulls. Despite a feeling of desolation on this stretch of the beach, I sensed she felt a bond with her "friends.”

NYC Exhibition, 2024

I was drawn to the spectral feeling of images moving through the night darkness.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

The eyes of the soul of the house. That small changing window that reveals, while protecting, secrets, desires, stories.

Border picture of the intimate and the public.

moments. Just moments. Crossing furtive glances. Closing of blinds. Lowering of curtains What is hidden? What is it that you want to show or glimpse? What is it that one seeks to find inside and outside or, better, through this threshold, this window?

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

A little boy runs along the train tracks outside of Ghum station as the steam-engine toy train prepares to depart in the Darjeeling area of West Bengal, India. I was photographing a story about Tea in the region, it was the end of the day, and I saw the train begin to emit smoke. Very quickly this little boy ran across the track and I photographed three frames.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

This image was taken in the Tate Modern, London, of a family sitting silently together. They were not talking.  The position of the girl between her parents–between childhood and adulthood–seemed very charged, her plait making a break for freedom. For me, there was great power in this young woman, though I could not see her face.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I was excited to be out shooting street photography in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, when these women and I nearly collided. In a split second I knew I loved their style, confidence, and vibe, and snapped the shot. I love how they blend in with the energy, the movement, and background of the city.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

This was taken at a flower market my first day traveling in Bangkok, and I remember the air was sultry and humid and smelled of exotic flowers. Tarps were hanging to keep the flowers shaded so they wouldn't wilt in the sun, and I felt like everything in this new city was still mysterious to me. I was aware that so much of the culture and city life was happening beyond what I could see. I love how the shadowy figure hidden on the other side of the tarp symbolizes that mysteriousness.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

The Dark Mother's quiet power comes from sitting in the chaos and tension with Grace, fiercely protecting her children.  My photos are an offering to her.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

Right in the heart of the city there is a neighborhood called Islamabad. The neighborhood, located at the border of the affluent area in the Northern part of the city, is deprived of the key urban facilities. In spite of the fact that the residents' suffering persists due to the lack of facilities and living in unsafe houses located in very narrow alleys, life goes on here.

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

It was a wonderful, foggy morning at Rishikesh, a place well known for its spiritual and religious activities. The ambience was very calm and peaceful, and people were worshipping the holy Ganges. It was a refreshing walk along the banks of the river. I love how the flying bird entered my frame.

2026 Artist Residency Short List

Artist Statement:

My belief in collective memory and shared experiences compels me to photograph strangers, a practice I’ve engaged in naturally since the age of fourteen. For the past decade, I’ve returned to the beaches of Brooklyn, New York, to create environmental portraits. My family’s displacement from a seaside town in Latvia during World War II shaped my fascination with the landscape. I photograph people on the beach as a way to savor a place that has offered respite and restoration to many New Yorkers. These portraits are made moments after encountering a stranger. I wait for a specific connection, however brief, that allows for a genuine and shared pause from the world outside the viewfinder.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

On a sultry day in Budapest (July 2022), water sprinklers throughout the city became magnets for people seeking relief from the heat. I watched and photographed the buzzing hubbub around the sprinklers. Toward the end of the day, a young boy stuck his head under the water and kept it there without moving – a sign of just how much he needed to cool off. I was struck by how the sun illuminated the water drops, creating a shower of light that enveloped his bowed figure.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

Shot in Budapest in July 2023: this image wasn't meant to happen.

In the late afternoon, the sun shone at steep angles through spaces between buildings. I was looking through my viewfinder at the light slanting across the façade of the Opera house, when this woman crossed my path out of the blue. I never saw her coming. She was a blur streaming across my visual field, while I had the camera up against my face. I automatically pressed the shutter, and this image — with that great backlight — was the result. I still marvel at it!

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

Among the casually dressed tourists milling about the Pont-des-Arts bridge, this man stood out as he took long strides in his elegant coat, hat, and white scarf.

He seemed to personify the flâneur – an observer of modern life who endeavors to lose himself in the city’s crowds, relishing the serendipity of urban encounters.

Why am I fascinated by this figure? As emblems of modernity, the flâneur and the street photographer share many qualities, both passionate explorers of the city’s depths, rhythms, secrets… both cultivating the connection between walking, seeing, and creating new conceptual worlds.

- Paris, October 2024

NYC Exhibition, 2025

A couple lingered over an afternoon expresso on a narrow café terrasse in Montmartre.  Although they were together, her expression was distant, wistful;  she seemed to be elsewhere.  I wondered what private vision she was contemplating as she sat, oblivious to the pedestrians and cars streaming by.  I made a long exposure to juxtapose the dreamy stillness of her face and the blurry flux of Paris’s urban life.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

The superlative long shadows of late fall, as seen from my sixth-floor window in Paris. Against the deep hues of the golden hour, the silhouetted figure and his elongated dark shadow transformed the street into a striking graphic composition.

Rome Exhibition, Italy, 2024

This photo was taken one sunny morning on a side street in Kavala, Greece. While searching for shade and contrasts, I paused briefly at this spot and waited for my subject. Finally, her appearance came.

Artist Statement:

Photography is my way of capturing and sharing how I see the world. Street photography fascinates me, because it captures real, unposed moments of everyday life. These candid images, illuminated by natural light and framed by the city’s movement, allow me to document the true essence of my community. I love that street photography is spontaneous and honest—often, my subjects are unaware of my camera, allowing me to capture their genuine experiences and emotions.

Photography helps me express what I find difficult to say in words. Through my street photography, I tell stories with a single image. My work focuses on people, especially women and the interplay of light and shadow, capturing the timeless charm of everyday life. Each photo is like a piece of history, preserving the spirit of neighborhoods and the people in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. My photography reflects the stories of daily life, capturing those moments that define a community.

Brazil Exhibition 2025

My two little girls, who wear the same dress, play chase on the terrace of this Castle: the motionless little sister seems to be reflected in the window, but it is instead the older sister who runs away. With this shot, I talk about the fleeting nature of time and how important it is to enjoy every moment of this strange, wonderful, unpredictable life.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

Photographed aboard an anchored ship in Tortola, this image comes from a series capturing the spontaneous unfolding of an afternoon at sea. Selected for its suspended moment and the brief pause before impact, it reflects joy between strangers and the fleeting freedom found in acts of play.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

On my first day in Myanmar, I came across a vibrant street food stall where people were eating and chatting.  I admired the Thanaka paste many women apply to their faces, as it was the first time I encountered this aspect of Burmese culture. One woman began to feed her son, and I was immediately drawn into this scene of maternal care. I noticed that with each spoonful, the mother opened her mouth in a gesture of encouragement. For me, that small gesture captured the essence of generations of mothers.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

Young Burmese monks play inside a classroom at a monastery school in Mandalay, Myanmar, 2024.

Entering the classroom during break time, I saw the children running across the desks, chasing one another. The contrast between the structured space and their playful energy immediately caught my attention. I chose to use a layering technique, building multiple visual planes within the frame to elevate the narrative and reflect the harmony between order and spontaneity.

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

Marine Drive in Mumbai is the best place for people to hangout and have a good time with family and friends. We can often find people taking a stroll, jogging, sitting on the fence, watching the waves, and enjoying the cool evening breeze. Day or night, this place is always vibrant and lively.

Perhaps people come here to get away from their claustrophobic lives and worries, living in the moment, finding their own space and solace somewhere between these small concrete rocks.

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

NYC Exhibition, 2019

This picture is part of a series I made about the daily life in small circuses.

A series about living together in a traveling company and hidden feelings. In my photos I try to capture the moments that are not part of the show. The instants they think nobody is watching them anymore.

I like taking pictures in those tiny and dark tents. Photographing cotton candies in these circumstances is very rewarding because of the way the light is captured by the transparent sweets.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

The Polar Bear Tony ready to jump into the ice-cold Atlantic Ocean for a good cause.

He is such an amazing character with a warm personality, always ready to help others. His body was covered all over with giant blue marks. His hands have many stories to tell.

The Polar Bears, Coney Island, New York

From November to April the Polar Bears swim every Sunday at Coney Island.

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing club in the United States founded in 1903 by famed health advocate Bernarr McFadden.

The club began using the event to raise funds for Special Olympics starting in 2005, and Camp Sunshine in 2007. In 2018, the club decided to support local groups and charities and began partnering with the Alliance for Coney Island to raise funds for local nonprofit organizations.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

All classes are suspended on campus. My oldest daughter misses studying in the library. But the most difficult part is not being able to see her friends.

Since the first day of the lockdown in Belgium - due to the Covid-19 pandemic - I started photographing my daughters around the house. From March 18 until May 18, 2020, I captured their daily routines. For my daughters, like for many young people, social contact with their peers is very important at their age. The restriction on seeing friends was very difficult for both of them. They often felt bored or lonely.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2022

When I was waiting on the platform for my train to Coney Island, this vintage passenger train passed by. People were getting in and out. He was protecting her like a gentleman would do in the old days.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

The elevator between Place Poelaert and the Marolles is one of my favorite spots in Brussels, especially on sunny days. The colored windows offer a stunning backdrop, perfect for experimenting with silhouettes and reflections.  I used a special flash technique to capture the passersby in the reflection of the wheel, creating a vibrant and dynamic image. The mix of colors and the playful contrast between light and shadow made the photograph come to life, turning the scene into an energetic and fun moment. It’s one of those times when light, color, and movement perfectly align.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

As an art historian, I often wander around museums in an instinctive search for the visual short circuits or connections that might happen between a piece of art and the viewer.

Here, all alone in a dark room in Uffizi, Caravaggio’s “Medusa,” whose glance in mythology can turn a man into stone, seems to mirror herself in a curly-haired passer-by, and that terrifies her, under the attentive and empathic gaze of a woman witnessing the scene.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

In the darkness of Rome, four Catrinas standing like silent guardians of memory. The city faded into black and white, and yet the spirit of Día de los Muertos glowed through them — a reminder that life and death are always intertwined. What caught my attention wasn’t just their presence, but the feeling that the past, the present, and all those we’ve loved were gathering in the quiet night. I took this photo to hold onto that moment — where remembrance becomes beauty, and the shadows speak softly of those who are never really gone.

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

This picture is part of a series I named: “Le Madame.” “Madama” in my area is the local way to define the oldest married woman in the family whose surname she bears. Unlike the “madamin,” a young bride, the “madama,” by definition, no longer lives in the shadow of her mother-in-law, but carries the responsibility of the family. In my imagination, she is no longer young, not necessarily well-off and refined, but still strong in energy and personality, humor, and personal elegance. She has wrinkles no longer hidden, white hair, even when dyed, a body that hardly but inevitably surrenders to age, but the desire to move forward does not fade.

With a mixture of relief and regret she stopped being the object of male desire and feminine envy: she is free to be herself and nothing else. She stopped pursuing fashion, but wishes to have a very decent look while she faces the many commitments she still has in life. The “madame”are the most invisible category of women to the eyes of the photographers used to capturing beauty and youth.

Reggio Emilia (Italy), 2018

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Parco Dora is a former industrial site now turned into a leisure area for kids and adolescents. The frantic action was magically frozen by the morning light which offered me this game of people and shadows.

Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

Elettrizzata in Italian means both "thrilled" and "electrified".

This picture was taken in Imperia (Liguria, Italian Northern Coastal Region) on September 25, 2021. It was my daughter Arianna's birthday and our festive scroll around the old city abruptly turned out into an adventure, as the nice September weather instantly changed into a heavy storm. A mix of excitement and genuine fear...

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

This shot was taken in Kuala Lumpur on one evening when the sun was still strong. There is a play of light and shadow as well as a glass reflection on this scene. A boy passed by, and when he put up his hand to cover his forehead, his gesture closely resembles the mannequin’s hand touching its sunglasses at the background - it’s that magical split second moment when I’m happy to click the shutter. The feeling was like a summer song being played. The end result is a poetic one.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

This is a picture that represents one of the responsibilities of a mother: teaching her child to fend for herself. They don't have a dryer, so the roof will do. The cloths are thrown and recovered with a long stick after drying. It is a moving picture that teaches us that we must never give up and always look for solutions despite the difficulties. Photo taken at Antoetra Ambositra Fianarantsoa, Madagascar.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

I took this picture in Washington DC in 2018, during the Chinese New Year celebrations. It was a cold winter morning, but the sun was bright. I was walking around when I noticed a spot where the sun’s rays were uniquely aligned. I got excited and stuck around. It was crowded. But I waited patiently to capture the right arrangement of light, shadow and people. I took a few frames but this one stood out for me because of how the light and shadows accentuate the sense of separation and isolation in a crowded context with so much energy and movement.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2019

I was wandering the streets aimlessly. I discovered the red structure by chance. My hometown is not very densely populated so I waited for different scenes to emerge. The color, the shadows and the geometry were too good to pass on. I got a couple of decent shots but I didn't think I had it. When I was ready to leave, I turned around and I saw a woman wearing bright red pants, mimicking the red poles. I couldn't believe it. It caught me off guard but I acted quickly!

NYC Exhibition, 2019

I took this picture in Washington DC. I love shooting at the train station: the comings and goings, the myriad of stories, the interplay of light and shadow and the majestic architecture. I waited for the right moment as the natural light faded, revealing new and interesting shapes and bringing the faces and shadows into relief.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

I took this photo in Madrid during one of our family outings. We were just beginning to learn about Covid in the news. What I like about this picture is how it depicts the family nucleus as tightly contained. My two children, unaware of what’s coming, are merged in a fun spider-shape form. The adult, however, seems frozen, something many of us are feeling during this time of crisis. He passively awaits what’s to come.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

I took this photo in the Bronx, NYC in 2018. I walked pass this guy without paying too much attention to the scene. When I crossed the street just behind him I somehow felt the need to turn around. That's when I saw the funny juxtaposition. I clicked once and left. From that point onwards, I remind myself to always look back. You never know what a difference a change of perspective can make.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

I took this picture the first time I went to Coney Island. I was walking on the beach when I saw the pier and got excited. I stood in front of it for a few seconds when I realized there were three figures filling up my tryptic. I clicked as quickly as possible, and a second later the image was gone. I felt exhilarated and was happy to see I had captured a different side of Coney Island.

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

This was taken at 6 pm in the middle of a Carnival Grouch of the Chath Puja Mela Ground that is spiritually inspired by a ritual called “Chath Puja” where one’s soul is offered to the eternal energy source of our universe. A balloon seller scouts for prospective buyers in a virtual playing field of light & shadow. The trajectory of light travels through multiple layers and enters the minuscule world inside the balloons to brighten every airy component, resulting in creating silver bricks around the balloons.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

I took this photo a few months ago at The Frick Museum. I had watched this elderly man for a while and when he sat down to rest I couldn't resist photographing the juxtaposition of the painting and his frailness. To me, it represented a sort of dream; a person's desire to sail away somewhere, but their body rendering them physically incapable of it. So he just sits and waits while the world is sailing away behind him. I am drawn to photographing the elderly. I think that is due to the little attention they receive from people. I often see them ignored by those around them, even their own children and grandchildren. People often forget that behind their wrinkled, frail faces there is still a vivacious, lively person with stories, desires, and wisdom to share. Growing up I always had a very deep connection to my grandparents and often documented their stories using video and photography.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

It may not look like it, but this photograph was taken in late December. The weather was 25 degrees Fahrenheit with wind gusts of 30 mph, but that didn’t stop this Coney Island Polar Bear. If anything, the colder the better. These incredibly brave souls come together every winter Sunday in Coney Island to take a dip in the freezing water. I've photographed them in sandstorms and freezing rain, on Christmas and Valentine’s Day. It continues to amaze me how these people go into the ocean every week no matter the weather. What an incredible community.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

This image was taken in Manhattan during a rainy evening and is part of a photo book I am working on about my dreams. Using a flash with a slow shutter at night, I was able to create this ghostlike look. I really liked the intense stare of both men (probably reacting to my flash on the street) and how the closer man's entire body is transparent, blending into the architecture of the city.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October, 2021

This image was taken during the COVID-19 pandemic on a visit to Miami. The sunset made the sky light up, almost like it was on fire. My wonderful friend was with me on the beach, and I photographed her silhouette against the backdrop of the apocalyptic sky. For me this image expressed the state of the world during this time – chaos and fire.

"As once the winged energy of delight carried you over childhood's dark abysses, now beyond your own life built the great arch of unimagined bridges."

-Rainer Maria Rilke

NYC Exhibition, 2024

This image was taken at a subway station in NYC. I had just spent the day at Rockaway Beach with my partner making photographs and swimming. Golden hour had come, and we were waiting for the train home. I suddenly saw this loving family with their young son. They were very affectionate, and I took a few videos of them joyfully playing together on the subway platform. I then saw my shadow cast next to them and thought of how I could combine both worlds in one frame: the real world and the shadow world most people overlook.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

Istanbul, the city of my heart. It overwhelms you, crushes you, tears away the carapace of your certainties. In this incomprehensible din, I am alone, lost in these streets full of glances. Nailed to another you that you don't know, emerging from who knows where. But if you accept the challenge, you become yourself. What remains is the languor of an incomprehensible melancholy that only belongs to goodbyes. Not to the city, but to your past. And also at your gaze, mysterious woman in the photo. Are you also looking for yourself without knowing it?

NYC Exhibition, 2024

This event that took place in Rome was incredible: the International Day Against Violence against women was, unfortunately, preceded by yet another feminicide that shocked the public. Like all the others, I wanted to be present at the procession, first of all as a woman and then as a photographer. It was a very strong emotion.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

I was in Istanbul, sitting in a small pub with a large window overlooking the street. As I drank my beer, I looked outside, fascinated by all the movement of people and trams. The street was so narrow that as the tram passed, people on the pavement had to be very careful....

Then I saw a woman: she was making her way through the people, quickening her pace, completely lost in thought. She immediately struck me and I instinctively tried to photograph her. It is the woman appearing from the left.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

Towards the end of the summer, I lost a very dear person in a terrible way. When such tragic events happen, it is really difficult to regain faith in life.  You need to have everything under control for fear of losing something or someone again.

A month later at a wedding, I took this photograph for which I am immensely grateful:  the beauty of the unexpected—the sudden gust of wind—was revealed to me, this time in a very sweet way.

Photography always finds a way to soothe my wounds.

2026 Artist Residency Short List

Artist Statement:

“Life is not what one has lived,” writes Gabriel García Márquez, “but what one remembers and how one remembers it in order to recount it.”

For me, this is “nostos”: an endless arrival at unknown ports, places where I hope to be welcomed; eyes that capture my gaze; fleeting smiles, melancholy, waiting, hope, defeat. Stories to sense, to guess, to tell in the improbability of the moment.

“Nostos” is my elsewhere—sought everywhere, longed for always, shared with anyone with whom, even for just a moment, I can feel my present and perhaps my ‘yet to come’. Because I know I will always find my “nostos” again, in other spaces, in other encounters—completely different in its absolute uniqueness, yet always the same for that charge of nostalgia, tension, and unquenchable search that has guided me here.

But mine is never a final “here”: mine is a journey without arrivals, a road that runs through my entire story—the one I have lived and the one I tell with my photographs. Along this uninterrupted and sometimes labyrinthine inner path, every stage, every port is an opportunity for me to confront myself and to dialogue with others.

Organising an exhibition or entering a contest is not simply a challenge or competition for me, but rather a precious opportunity for dialogue with others, and questions to myself: Have I managed to tell a story, to express myself, to make myself understood? Will my photos be able to speak for me and about me? Will they be able to say all that is inside me, which words cannot contain?

Will this story of mine, pulsing in my soul, be able to tell other stories, other “nostoi”? That would be my true, authentic victory.

I have always thought and felt that “better” and “worse” are parallel lines that can meet at a point in infinity—where every distance disappears in the fullness of being and of finding oneself. Together.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

A day after Christmas, I visited a hot springs area well known as a sacred healing place in ancient Greece. The place was full of immigrant families celebrating Christmas their way. Some were Ukrainian, others from Georgia. I was moved that they had found shelter for their wounds in this sacred area and honored and relieved to be present in their union, especially as it was mirrored in their children’s bodies and faces.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

We were on a train in London. The woman stood out with her red sweatshirt. I was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, and I snapped the photo, pretending I was capturing something out the window, but she looked right at me. I must not have been that sly. When I looked at my camera to see the photo, I felt I had caught her intensity from that stare. It was the only one I got of her. I felt lucky.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

While waiting for the ferry to a Spanish island, I discovered the central bus station where people were waiting, arriving, and departing. I was thrilled by the effect that the strong light made. It was difficult to distinguish between the real people and the figures that were on the glass pane of the waiting area.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

After an impressive day in the Namibian desert that ended with a stunning sunset, I experienced a magical atmosphere as the dramatic light of dusk bathed the landscape in a soft glow. Suddenly, in the gathering darkness of the campground, I discovered this scene: the combination of the harsh artificial light and the warm light of the long-set sun created a mesmerizing atmosphere that made the moment seem timeless and surreal.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

On a ferry across the Bosporus, the multi-faceted life of a city in motion unfolds. Men sit together, their faces reflect familiarity. A boy stands by the window, his gaze curiously directed at the water – caught between childhood and the future. In the foreground, almost still and unnoticed, a man and a woman rest on two benches, one behind the other. They sleep, exhausted from the day, perhaps from life itself– a quiet pause amidst the hustle and bustle. The image captures contrasts of motion and stillness, closeness and solitude, noise and rest—a candid, living snapshot of Istanbul.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

The tattoo artist is a small-time celebrity of sorts in this small village near Pune, India. Crowds gather around him waiting for their turn to get themselves a tattoo in the local village fair.

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

After a dip in the river, the women change into dry sarees and get ready. What attracted me the most was their colorful attire and activities such draping their sarees and combing their hair. The serene Panchganga River in the background with a small temple behind them added to the rustic rural feel of the whole frame.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

This image was taken during the first massive show in the zocalo of Mexico City after 1 year of pandemic where everything was canceled. A girl walked with balloons of light in the middle of the people while the traffic light reflected the green light on her face. With all the context, I could only feel at that moment that not only was the light perfect for a photograph, but also the meaning of hope that this little light gave me in the dark.

Brazilian Exhibition, 2025

Peace can be represented in many ways. On this day, just as the sun was beginning to set, I was initially drawn by the light.  Communicating  over several days through gestures, I had previously photographed and shared images through my camera with this lady,  however, it was this moment that engaged my senses, drawing me in to her moment of peace.

This is one of a series of street portraits engaging with people in their communities in India.   

NYC Exhibition, 2026

Like many visitors to Tokyo, this woman had donned a rental kimono to visit the Buddhist temple Sensō-ji. She was alone and had posed repeatedly for selfies in the late afternoon light. I followed her, wanting to understand this ritual, as she elegantly and carefully picked her way through a crowd of shoppers near the temple. Then I noticed the tattoo on her neck, which belied her elaborate masquerade.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

That place was my meditation spot. I used to go there sit down and literally wait for the Universe to surprise me.

That day was really special cause many people came, i shoot many pics but when i got this one i felt totally connected. The circle of life. Getting ready, Falling, getting up and trying again. As years pass by you recover faster and take less time on the getting ready or getting up...♥️ Its all about trying and falling ♥️

1 month after a big storm came and took away all that. That magic spot is not there anymore. But before he left he gave me this beautiful gift.

NYC Exhibition, 2019

It was Halloween night, i saw that girl wearing a wedding dress, her face was so sad i could feel her pain...

I really wish she finds real Love in her life. That she loves herself first and then she finds somebody to share it with!!

NYC Exhibition, 2023

"I’m the crow, the spirit of transformation.

A messenger of magic and mystery.

I’m here to guide your journey,

to help you see beyond the veil of illusion.

My eyes are sharp and my energy is strong.

I’m fearless. I will lead you

to the heart of things, where the truth lies waiting.

Don’t be afraid, dear one.

I’m here to lift you up and carry you

to new heights of understanding.

So let go of your fears and doubts,

and trust in my guidance.

I’m the crow. Follow me,

to see the magic in the unknown."

Fifth Avenue, NYC

NYC Exhibition, 2024

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Fifth Avenue, NYC

Rome Exhibition, Italy, 2024

“And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.”

The Chaos of Stars

NYC Exhibition, 2025

It’s not easy to keep going when the world doesn’t love what you do.  Do it anyway.  Keep doing it to feed the artist inside of you.  Shine your own light, and I promise, someday the right people will find you and love you the way you deserve.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

During a period of grief when not even my hobbies were helping, photography included, my therapist encouraged me to go out and take photos after work as part of my tasks of mourning. I set out for a street I like in Madrid where the golden hour is particularly beautiful and took this photo of a downcast man going home after work. I felt very happy and proud. I hadn’t felt that way in a long time. Even at the time I called it ‘Monday Task, Check.’

NYC Exhibition, 2026

I didn't truly realise the girl's posture matched the man in the mural until I checked the camera display. Initially, I only noticed the mural's beauty and was glad the girl approached it, as the place, a cultural complex in Avilés, Spain, was particularly deserted that summer day. It turned out the photo revealed more than a hide-and-seek game: it captured curiosity, mystery, expectations, the connection between generations and the passage of time.

2026 WSP Artist Residency Short list

Artist Statement:

IG: @susanne_bartels_photoartist

Artist Statement:

I am a photographic artist based in Munich, Germany, working at the intersection of street photography and conceptual narrative. My focus lies on human presence, emotional truth, and the quiet complexity of life as it unfolds in public. I photograph forgotten corners, raw edges, and gestures that often go unseen. My camera is a listener. I do not take photos—I create emotional translations of reality.

My submitted project, “Mundo Aparte,” was created in La Perla, Puerto Rico—a place that felt like another world, layered with pain, pride, music, resistance, and overwhelming beauty. What began as curiosity became a deep emotional connection. I climbed down from the old city wall of San Juan into this barrio and was struck by the poetry and power of what I found. People surviving with grace. Community built on rhythm and resilience. I returned eight weeks later and felt like I belonged. I photographed with love and presence, trying to do justice to this “mundo aparte”—a world apart.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

I took a journey through India which brought me to the city of Varanasi. Life there begins at dawn. One morning, I visited the mud wrestlers during their daily training. Contrary to what I had expected, hardly anyone spoke. Everyone was very focused on their exercises. It was a very calm, almost meditative atmosphere that prevailed here. I was fascinated that they were so busy with their activities that they hardly noticed anything else.

Observations like these have taught me to live in the moment, to concentrate on the here and now.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

In Times Square, there is always so much noise, light, and clamor. People are consuming, running, and gawking at a frenetic pace. I was in a kind of reverie, watching the world fly by with nothing catching my eye. Everything looked the same. Then, I looked up and saw him. There was something in his eyes which brought me out of my ennui. In an instant, he was the only person that interested me. He drew me in and I took the image. I was captivated.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

I was wandering the small alleys in Fez, Morocco when I noticed the cat lying under the cowskins. I had to look twice at what was going on here. It seemed to me that the cat was wondering too, what had happened to the cows.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

One of the events that I look forward to every year is the Easter Parade in NYC. It's a fun-filled day where people dress up in Easter-themed clothes, and the positive atmosphere creates a beautiful experience. This year, I captured a photo where a light breeze moved my subject's hair nicely, complementing the fabric of her hat.

Rome Exhibition, Italy, 2024

In Istanbul, I noticed that children in the less -affluent neighborhoods mainly played in the streets. That reminded me of my childhood; we'd spend the day outside and play together without cell phones or social media.

Today's development in all industrialized countries is the opposite. You still see people spending time together in groups, but everyone is busy with their phones. People  become isolated, social interactions are lost, and togetherness is changing.

It's a wake-up call to all of us to give children time for analog play to build the social skills they need to succeed in a changed society.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

The Pushkar Fair is a swirl of movement:  dusty streets crowded with traders, the rhythmic clang of bells, the scent of chai drifting through the stalls. Amid the chaos, I found this quiet, yet layered, moment.  A young girl, lost in her own world, held a small toy to her eye, as if peering into a secret reality.  Behind her, an older girl sat at a shop counter, resting her hand near her mouth, watching the world go by with a distant gaze. The contrast struck me:  one lost in imagination, the other seemingly lost in thought.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

I saw this scene at a bustling chicken market. What struck me was how everyone seemed absorbed in their own world, yet an invisible thread connected them — a fragile harmony within the chaos, as if all were waiting for the next move.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

Walking through the street markets in the countryside of Bahia it is possible to see, hear, touch the essence of the Brazilian soul.

There, far away from the lights, the rush, the competition, the technology that disconnects us, a truer Brazil emerges: strong, simple, supportive, wise.

In the heart of the Chapada Diamantina, I made an essay with the desire to document this part of my country that most of the time reaches us, inhabitants of the urban centers, in a distorted manner: sometimes despised, sometimes exploited, sometimes transformed into exotic product for consumption.

I was always a quiet and patience person. I don't mind waiting, I love to observe the routine of the market, people walking around. I saw this lady selling cloth and I stood there for quite some time until this colorful scene emerged in front of me.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2025

The Festa do Rosário in Dores do Indaiá is a vibrant cultural and religious celebration held annually in the town of Dores do Indaiá.

During the festival, Congado groups, known as "congadeiros," perform lively dances and songs in homage to Our Lady of the Rosary and other saints. The performances are marked by rhythmic drumming, the use of traditional instruments, and elaborate choreography, bringing the streets to life with energy and color. Congado is a blend of African traditions and Catholicism, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the Afro-Brazilian community.

The group in the picture is Called Estrela do Oriente.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

This photograph captures the quiet, unspoken essence of belonging. The white hair, illuminated against the shadows, symbolises wisdom, age, and a life full of stories, reflecting ties to a generation, family, or community shaped by shared experiences.  In a world that often feels divided, this image reminds us that belonging can be intimate and personal, a quiet presence that speaks of connection, time, and identity.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

One of my favorite summer getaways during the pandemic was to take the empty subway out to Coney Island and walk the boardwalk with my camera. It was so windy on this particular day, the sand was blowing everywhere, and the seagulls were going nuts, dive bombing passers-by for any morsel of food they could get. It was total chaos. I love this image, because it reminds me of something out of Hitchcock's "The Birds.”

NYC Exhibition, 2023

This photo was taken on a recent trip to Oaxaca, Mexico for the Day of the Dead celebrations. While Día de Muertos and Halloween are two totally different holidays, kids still enjoy the “perks” of Trick or Treating. These four, parked in the middle of a pedestrian street, were hoping for tourists to toss some pesos or candy their way. The three girls “meditating” cracked me up but what made the scene was the “dead” clown with the butcher’s knife lying behind them. Kids being kids, innocent and devious all at once.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

A gathering of ‘mutant bikes’ and those who dare to ride them, Bike Kill occurs every year the weekend before Halloween. This is image is from my first time going to the event in 2023, and it quickly became one of my favorite events to shoot. It is pure mayhem mixed with pure joy. I know that no matter what mood I’m in going there I’ll end up leaving with a giant smile on my face.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October, 2021

I came across this monkey sitting proudly on the roof of a home above the Spice Markets in Old Delhi, India. He sat looking straight at me as if he new I was about to take his photo. And just at that instant a shadowy image of a man appeared in the doorway. It was one of those moments when things fell into place and then a second later it was gone.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

Taken not long after the lift of travel restrictions, the city of Frankfurt was emerging out of a 2-year darkness. I took this image from my hotel window.

For me, it has an alien sense about it: the light flare shooting upwards like a tele-transporter, and the human form ready to flick the switch and disappear. With all the advances in technology, could this be our future?

NYC Exhibition, 2023

I came across this bubble thrower on my walk home one afternoon. For the small change they make from donations, they bring so much joy to children who jump and dance to pop the bubbles as they float into the air. It’s a magical feeling.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I was wandering through the downtown Greensboro, North Carolina LGBTQIA+ Pride celebration with my Nikon camera, stopping to photograph an impromptu vogue battle. While kneeling there, I noticed a drag performer behind me, towering over me. Their majestic, peaceful look repeated in the faces of the two people behind and beside them. I noticed how the leafy green tree above mirrored their eye shadow and feathery lashes. Everything felt connected, with transcendent eyes focused on something above and beyond what the rest of us could see. And also mystery in the smile. I clicked before the moment was gone.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

This image was taken at a water park where the riders were enjoying the water ride, and viewers were enjoying watching them standing on a high ramp. Riders were sliding through a tunnel, and at the end they were dropping in the pool through the hole in the bowl. I wanted to show this very thrilling ride experience through my photos where I tried to show the rider and the shadow of the viewers falling in the bowl showing their presence there. I liked the action, expression of the riders, color contrast and the shadow play there.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2026

Corgis galore on this sunny afternoon at the beach; they strut around in their finest, chase waves, and compete for looks and skill, all under the adoring gaze of an ebullient human medley. Just as things can’t get any wilder, a machine starts spewing bubbles and the crowd runs amok. Kids throw themselves at the fragile, shimmering globes floating in the air; I’m drawn to the spunky girl in the frame intent on bursting all of them; dads lift their precious little ones and start spinning them around. Two-legged and four-legged babies flying like planes, their human companions in ecstasy.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

One can get lost in the maze-like Chand Baori, a stepwell in Abhaneri Village, Rajasthan. This impressive stepwell is the most photogenic, unique in design, deepest, and oldest surviving well in India. When one considers India's architectural marvels, many overlooked these stepwells. I saw lovely geometry, lines, and innumerable complex steps built during ancient times. I had to capture this amazing craftsmanship and engineering. When I looked down this 13-story stepwell, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized. To compose this photo, I waited for a human element to enter and connect with the stepwell.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October, 2021

I was heading to the entrance of an elevated walkway. What I saw was this amazing composition presented with classic graphical elements emphasizing patterns, repetition, and rhythm. I had to capture this creative and interesting geometrical image. Those vertical and horizontal lines define shapes and appear connected graphically and expressively. The leading lines were framed and composed to draw the eye into the image creating depth and symmetry. The small scale human element was added to break the geometric pattern. To drown out the visual noise I waited for the decisive moment when the perfect subject entered the frame.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

Trinidad a well preserved city that oozes with history, beauty, and culture, making my trip an unforgettable photography experience. One afternoon, I was out walking on the cobble streets under intense heat hoping to document and get a glimpse into Cuban life. While exploring, I chanced upon a guy in white walking like a catwalk model heading somewhere. It was delightfully unexpected to see a local that fashionable here, where time has stood still since the early 1900s. Though the city is crumbling, the houses are colorful, and live salsa blares from every street corner. I felt like I was stepping into a film set.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

Trinidad Cuba is a beautiful town frozen in time and a street photographer's paradise. While I was there, I walked the street daily to document everyday Cuban life.

The morning lights and the hours during sundown are the best time for photography. Cubans are always seen to be out at their front doors or hanging out of windows.

I spotted this man at the door. I supposed he stood there to have the morning sun and to street watch. It was a lovely morning with sunlight casting shadows, transforming the scene with contrast, colours, lights and shadows all in one.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

A dramatic art of pouring (almost throwing) boiling water: steam and water droplets explode upwards in an arc.  It is an incredible display I had to document, a tradition by Tea Master Li Quiang, who owns Guanyin Pavilion, China's oldest tea house (300 years).

NYC Exhibition, 2026

This scene invites a quiet poetic story that needs to be documented and shared. 

She did come to be seen. She came to listen to the season.

 Beneath the cherry tree, she unfolded her sleeves and the fabric moved the way blossoms fall. She remained still holding in conversation with spring.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

I was drawn to the large, orangish-red light hanging in the outdoor entrance to a skyscraper in downtown Oklahoma City, OK. I planted myself by the curb and took photos as people walked into the building, hoping for just the right character. I chose this distinguished-looking man, in part, because his dark-blue suit complemented the color of the light fixture. I also liked the gesture of his hand in his pocket and how the dome of his head echoed the shape of the light.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

Captured on the streets of Toronto in November, I was amused by the three blue rabbits trying to warm themselves in the sun. The text and colour of the posters plastered on the wall behind them added to the humour.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

This photo was captured late on a Wednesday afternoon in the Parque La Ceiba in Havana, Cuba. A few locals gathered in the square to watch the performance; a woman sold coloured candy sticks and crisps from a repurposed pram; a man sat on his doorstep smoking a cigar and little boys chased each other with water guns. At the centre of all this activity this woman danced to the intense pulse of the Santeria drums. Exuberant and confident in her movement she will not tiptoe through life.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

After the frenzy of the other participants in this year's annual Polar Bear Dip, Elsa emerged from the frigid waters of Lake Ontario with quiet intention.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

I went to London to attend the exhibition "Magnificient Spice Bazaar" by 19 women from Istanbul, held in Yunus Emre Institute on March 8th, 2019. When going around the city, I stopped to take a bus. An elegant mindful lady was also waiting for the bus, and a gentleman with a Dali moustache was standing on the other side of the window full of rain drops. Directing the flash towards the pole of the bus stop so as not to make a flash reflection on the window, I took the shot. The lady's profile on the window was the bonus.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

A photograph in my “The Surrealism of Life” series where I aim to photographically present the metaphors, abstract codings, symbols analyzed in our inner reality that we encounter in everyday events and scenes—those that challenge the search for meaning, defy internal resolutions, break the chains of logic and overturn imposed norms and rules. It is both fun and exciting to trace an oxymoronic theme by realistically reflecting surreal scenes drawn directly from life. Referencing Foucault, I believe this series also serves as an intellectual practice to question the value of reason and the transformative possibilities of imagination.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

A smoker always presents a great opportunity for a photographer to capture an intriguing frame. I spotted a young man sitting in front of a store, exhaling thick clouds of smoke.  Nearby, an elegant young woman was engrossed in her phone.  As I moved closer, aiming to catch the swirling smoke while firing my external flash, she flinched at the sudden burst of light. Her wide-eyed reaction mirrored the expression on a poster behind her. As photographers, we sometimes steal fleeting surreal moments from time—and this was one of them.

NYC Exhibitor, 2026

In the bustling heart of Istanbul, Eminönü, one of Istanbul’s busiest transit points, ferries depart for the Golden Horn and the Anatolian side as crowds flow past modest shoreline eateries. Among the area’s street rituals are pickle sellers carrying trays of brightly colored glasses, circulating to tempt passersby with scent and color. On a cold winter day, I noticed two young women taking a selfie behind a nylon curtain when a curious vendor stepped closer. When the flash fired, a shared glance emerged, the street briefly paused, and reflections sealed the moment—revealing an instant of public intimacy.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

In the midst of a beautiful winter morning at Lahore Railway Station, a train was preparing to depart with passengers bustling about, purchasing snacks for their journey. Amidst the commotion, an elderly man caught my attention. He was visibly eager to obtain the daily newspaper, and once he had it in hand, he sat by the window and eagerly began to read. This simple act reminded me that regardless of social class, every citizen has a keen interest in staying up-to-date with current events. While electronic media may be fast, the allure and charm of reading a newspaper remains undeniable.

Special Exhibition of 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

One day in winter while passing through the narrow lanes besides the ghats, a monkey sitting at the edge of a terrace caught my eye. His actions made me thing he might jump off from one side of the street to the other. I was quick enough to get myself ready to capture it. This jump made me realize that many times the people who see us don't believe in us because they lack confidence in our actions. But if you are confident in yourself, you can break free people's opinions and achieve your goals.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

On a visit to Sydney, I ended up at the stunning location of Bronte Beach and its rock pool built into the sandstone cliffs surrounding it. I saw man sitting quietly against the textured cliffs when the woman in the spotted bathing suit and retro sunnies came into view. I quickly grabbed this moment of interaction between the two of them, which somehow reminded me of a scene from a vintage film noir.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

The Paris metro system has several ventilation shafts that expel the winds produced by the passing trains. One of them opens in the center of Place Blanche, near the Moulin Rouge. At the beginning of the last month of October, it was rather warm in Paris. Young women were enjoying fanning themselves over the ventilation shaft. Skirts and hair lifted by the rising airflow provoked shouts and laughter. I approached to capture some of that hair magically drawn upwards towards the sky. The poetry of the moment.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

As I roamed the streets of NYC, I stumbled upon the Philippine Independence Day Parade and was captivated by the beauty of the traditional attire, music, and dances.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

While strolling through Times Square, I stumbled upon a fascinating interaction between two men dressed in traditional Indian attire. The gestures between them offer numerous interpretations, adding a layer of intrigue to the scene.

Rome Exhibition, Italy, 2024

This photograph, taken on a Sunday afternoon at South Pointe Park in Miami, captures a vibrant scene full of life and activity. In the foreground, a curious dog stares directly into the lens, its eyes full of wonder. Nearby, a couple is deeply engrossed in a phone, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. In the background, a cyclist passes by, lost in thought. Further back, a man loses his balance and falls off a tightrope. The park is alive with the energy of diverse activities, each element contributing to the rich tapestry of the image.

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

The image shows a boy walking in San Miguel de Allende, with shadows covering most of his face, leaving only one eye visible. His hands rest on his head, creating a sense of thought or playfulness. The shadows add a mysterious mood, focusing on his eye and expression.

2026 WSP Artist Residency Short List

Artist Statement:

On the Doorstep is a street photography series I shot in India, focused on the space where home meets the street. I was drawn to the everyday scenes that played out on doorsteps. People sitting, chatting, resting, or just watching the world go by. The colorful homes and clothing created a vibrant, layered visual environment, almost like a natural stage for daily life. What stood out to me most was the openness of how much of life happened outside, in view of neighbors and passersby. It felt very different from how people live in most Western cities, where daily life is often more private and contained.

NYC Exhibition, 2026

This image was taken at a fair in Prayagraj, India, during the Kumbh Mela festival. I was drawn to the bright yet simple background contrasting with the balloons, whose shadows add another layer to the scene as they spill across the ground, and to the playful movement of the child in the background set against the quiet seriousness of the girl in front.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

This photograph captures a scene in Bogra, Bangladesh, where vendors have established their shops along the railway. What particularly caught my attention was the abundance of eggs on display in the bright sun. Intrigued by this sight, I decided to invest some time waiting for an interesting moment. Eventually, as the egg seller made a move, a fly landed on one of the eggs, creating a composition that brought the entire scene together.

Rome Exhibition, Italy, 2024

Taken on a ferry ride in Istanbul, this photo captures a woman’s pensive gaze, a boy’s quiet rest, and another's distant stare. Reflections blend the cityscape and ferry interior, creating a dreamlike moment.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

As we went inside BC Ferries to find a spot to sit, I stumbled upon this couple who were enjoying each others' company by napping. Luckily, I have my Yashica with me and a bar stool in the ferries' canteen. At first, I thought, I couldn't make the shot because I have poor fluorescent lighting. So, I stood on the bar stool, composed my camera settings and angle, and held my breath to prevent a camera shake. After the shot, I watched them napping with the great sunset and thought about my grandparents back home. I miss them dearly.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in NYC, I visited the Guggenheim to develop a presentation about Frank Lloyd Wright and the museum for a class. While many of my photos were focused on the architecture of the building, I couldn’t help but be curious about my fellow museum patrons. I began to create a series of photos on museum visitors. Was the man in the red jacket taking a photo, texting a friend, or perhaps sending a work email?

NYC Exhibition, 2020

This scene slowly built over 15-20 minutes. At first, there was only the disabled man repairing a watch on his stoop. Then the old lady appeared and began energetically drying saris. The other woman popped her head out the upstairs window, and finally the cow walked by to complete the tableau. I've heard famous street photographers say patience is essential. In this case, that approach paid off with a photo so full of improbable details that it almost suggests a fairy tale.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October, 2021

Inspired by Sergio Larrain, earlier this summer I spent an afternoon shooting pigeons in the park using a Leica Monochom. I like this shot for the dynamic range, the ambiguity, and the ominous mood that, for me , echoes our current anxious and uncertain times.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

There wasn’t much happening in Shanghai’s People’s Park on a weekday afternoon. I started exploring some closed kiddie rides, because I liked the contrast between their bright, plasticky colors and the dingy surroundings. Near one ride I saw a feral cat that looked to have had a tough life. Trying not to scare it, I crouched down and inched forward. Assessing me with its one good eye, the cat arched its back in a defensive show of bravado, but stayed put. I loved how its shape rhymed with the curved perimeter of the ride and clicked the shot.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

This photo captured a moment of human presence in the self-affiliation which isn't violated by anyone else: the possibility of human's inside harmony with oneself, created by the peculiar charm of solitude.

Maybe this state of being helps us to cognize and evaluate ourselves, or to comprehend our own significant value. It also can help us to view ourselves from outside.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

Brazil Exhibition, 2025

My aim was to take the viewer into a new realm of female empowerment, inspiring reflection, and a broader understanding of femininity in the twenty-first century.

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2018

Lexington Avenue, early morning, a wave of people chasing their individual dreams. They arrive at Grand Central station from all over NY, commuting from the outer boroughs or even other states.

They are full of energy but also of self- doubt… will this be the day of their professional breakthrough? Will their children get into the right school? Can they afford the health treatment they badly need? And most of all, did they make the right choice coming here?

Some are Americans, many are not. They have arrived from Brazil or Somalia, India or China, and many other places. They all have in common the hope that they will finally make it in NY. Is it just a dream soon to be disappointed?

They are thoughtful, even dreamy, some look already tired and even dejected. But they keep coming to try again and again. Will their persistence pay one day, for them or their children? They walk quickly, avoiding colliding with others, coffee in hand, newspaper in the other. Determined, in a hurry and yet hesitant. Some look scared to fail and be obliged to give up. But going away is not an option they even contemplate.

They have invested so much that a retreat would feel a big defeat. They have to succeed, their families depend on them making and extra effort, waking up earlier, focusing more on the goal. For as long as they hope, they will keep coming, early every morning to the big city of dreams.

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Migrants continue to flock to Europe in search of improving their lot in life, overcoming all difficulties, showing resilience and courage against all odds.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2022

I started taking photos with this background in the Plaza de Catalunya in Barcelona in 2015. One of those images was a finalist in MSPF 2018, and, since then, I continue working in this same place, where pigeons, tourists, and locals mingle with each other.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

Like every year, the gigantic Foire du Midi is installed along the Boulevard du Midi, next to the train station, with 130 attractions for children and adults. A real melting pot of nationalities and cultures that coexist in the vivid Brussels.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

I took this photo at the Magh Mela mass gathering in Prayagraj, India, where hundreds of thousands of Hindus living in precarious tents seek liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth.

The woman noticed me shooting while doing her daily cleaning routine until her husband returned. She confronted me with a threatening look.

In this long-term project, I portray Hindu spirituality, faith, tension, and also fear.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

This image was taken in Istanbul, where east meets west and mirrors of the past are present, reflecting the future.

Brazilian Exhibition, 2025

In Bangkok’s Khlong Toei slums, the air hums with heat and hustle. I caught this moment on instinct—a boy in motion, a car at rest. The colors struck first, bold blues and reds against the grit of the street. But it’s his glance that lingers, half-curious, half-guarded—a snapshot of resilience in a place where life never pauses.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

Women attending the Tehran demonstration marking the 1978 anniversary of the American embassy's capture by revolutionaries. The women wearing chador chanting in support of Iran's government were seated together, and the morning light fell on their faces. Some of the women weren't chanting but were simply present, as if they didn't know what was right and wrong.

04/Nov/ 2014

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

It was a hot summer day. Two sisters were playing in the field. One of the sisters, tired, walked home barefoot.

NYC Exhibition, 2025

Everywhere we go, we carry the weight of our emotions, our past, and the stories we often leave untold. I captured this moment of solitude—just a young man, a cup of coffee, and his thoughts amid the movement of the city.  In the stillness, I wonder:  what is the story he holds in his silence?  The one he carries with him everywhere—the one I can see reflected in his eyes?  Street photography is about these fleeting, unspoken moments, where a single frame can reveal the depth of a human soul.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

I saw children playing hide and seek, and this girl was alone. It was like a scene from my childhood, so magical for me. I was drawing my dreams on the walls.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

I met a photographer friend from Australia for a photo shoot in Istanbul. She brought his daughter with her. Sophie's energy was beautiful. She was playing with every animal she saw: birds, dogs, and street cats of Istanbul. This photo is one of them. Pigeons had gathered in front of the wall of the mosque in Tophane. I took this photo when Sophie ran into it.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

While eating at a restaurant with my children, I saw my son watching the fish in the aquarium, creating an amazing scene. I took 6 or 7 photos and later realized I had captured a great shot.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

Children playing in an oil field, near “Maroon” village. In most villages, there are only elementary schools and because of long distances to bigger villages in which guidance and high schools are found, and also because of high expenses for traffic, these children leave schools and stay at home. Most of them have a lot of enthusiasm for learning but they are obliged to accept this situation. Finally, the girls will marry in low ages and boys will either be idle or work in low wages jobs.

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019