I am publishing Respect, the second volume in my book series Female Portraits: Looking Back to the Past, an editorial project born from the artworks in the collection and the real stories of the women portrayed in them.

Following Freedom, I continue the series with a word that runs through both the artwork and the stories of Rosa and Lourdes: respect.

The book begins with the creation of Respect, the largest work in the collection, and traces the process behind it: from meeting the women and listening to their stories to the photography, composition and final construction of the piece.

Two women, one artwork

Respect brings together the stories of Rosa and Lourdes, two women with very different experiences who ultimately share the same composition.

Through their stories, the book explores the consequences of violence, the silences that can last for years, and the process of reclaiming the ability to make decisions about one’s own life.

But Respect is not only a book about what they have lived through.

It is also a book about looking, about artistic creation, and about everything that can emerge when a personal story is transformed into an artwork.

From the artistic process to the book

In these pages, I also share the process behind the creation of the work: choosing the protagonists, the photographic sessions, the search for the composition, the technical decisions, and the elements that gradually gave shape to Respect.

The book and the artwork offer two different ways of approaching the same story.

The image offers a first encounter. The book opens a space to discover what lies behind it.

Through this series, I want to preserve not only the artworks, but also the voices, encounters and human processes that made each of them possible.

Respect, now available on Amazon

Respect is now published and available to purchase on Amazon.

With this second volume, the series continues through 25 words and 25 artworks from Female Portraits: Looking Back to the Past, each connected to a real story and to a different way of looking at the human experience.