Artist presentation

Paolo Patrizi

PAOLO PATRIZI, born in Italy, is a renowned documentary and fine art photographer known for his profound explorations of social, cultural, and environmental issues. His photographic journey began in London in the 1980s, where he refined his craft as an assistant and took on freelance assignments for British magazines and design groups. These early years laid the foundation for his long-term documentary practice, which centers on storytelling that merges artistic sensitivity with journalistic rigor. In 2005, Patrizi moved to Tokyo, where he immersed himself in the vibrant interplay of tradition and modernity that defines Japan. This move sparked a deep interest in how globalization, economic shifts, and cultural transformations influence individuals and societies. Nearly a decade later, he returned to Italy, continuing to explore themes that juxtapose cultural heritage with contemporary life. His work frequently highlights the intersection of these forces, focusing on marginalized communities and themes of migration, displacement, and the human condition. His approach is characterized by natural lighting, carefully composed frames, and a deep empathy for his subjects, capturing moments that are both intimate and universally resonant.
Patrizi's dedication to long-term documentary projects has earned him widespread acclaim and numerous prestigious awards, including the World Press Photo Award, the Sony World Photography Award, the Lens Culture Exposure Awards, and the Anthropographia Award for Human Rights, The Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, POY international. His work has been featured in major international publications such as Stern, National Geographic, Le Monde, Geo and The Guardian. His photography has been showcased in galleries and festivals around the world, solidifying his status as a leading voice in contemporary documentary photography. Through his evocative and thought-provoking imagery, Paolo Patrizi continues to offer profound insights into the human experience, capturing stories that challenge perceptions and open new perspectives on the complex realities of our world.

Artist statement

In the eastern part of Rome, a significant yet often overlooked phenomenon has emerged: a new

ethnic economy, largely driven by the Bangladeshi community. These migrants have achieved what no other foreign community in Italy has managed to accomplish with such success: carving out a stable economic niche, attracting a mixed clientele—comprising both compatriots and Italian citizens—and offering a reliable service, becoming a familiar presence in the neighbourhoods where they operate. They have learnt to navigate a new language and culture, all while continuing to support their families in Bangladesh through monthly remittances.

But behind this resilience lies another side of migration—the emotional aspect. When migrants

discover that the so-called “promised land” does not live up to expectations, they take refuge in

memories of home, idealising their country of origin as a lost paradise. Memory freezes at the

moment of departure—when the dream was shattered, and loss became reality.

Adapting requires sacrifice: language, identity, familiarity. Even when integration seems successful, many never feel fully accepted. Despite their work, language skills, and efforts to integrate, they remain “foreigners.” Those who fail to meet the demands of their new environment—especially those from the Global South—risk marginalisation. The balance between maintaining one’s roots and adapting is a fragile one.

Italy, with its own history of emigration, struggles to extend the same empathy to those arriving

today. Increasingly harsh policies have eroded protections and made expulsions easier, endangering the lives of thousands. These measures not only control borders—they fracture communities and deepen isolation.

A growing political movement aims to dismantle refugee protections by closing ports, criminalising NGOs, striking deals with foreign coastguards, and denying asylum even to those already present in Italy. Racism—whether covert or overt—is a daily reality for many, fuelled by fear and misinformation.

But the real problem isn’t migration. It’s the borders.

Migration is part of the human experience. Borders, on the other hand, are a recent invention—

designed to divide, to justify inequality, to separate people.

Capital moves freely, but for the world’s poorest, borders are increasingly fortified, and the

journeys ever more dangerous. Let us imagine a future where shared humanity forms the basis of coexistence—not exclusion—and where the right to belong does not depend on where one is born.