Ciao Roma

Ciao Roma tells the story of a city whose language you cannot translate with words.  In 2018, many years after living in Rome I returned to find the city I adored and once called home covered in graffiti.  It broke my heart to see the ancient architecture defaced in such an intrusive way and I cried myself to sleep that first night back.  The next day I leaned in more closely to hear the voices of the people underneath each swath of graffiti, and I fell in love even more deeply as I saw that even in their pain and anger there is still a passion and zeal for life.  

This series explores how this magical city continues to radiate and thrive in modern times amidst the backdrop of urban decay and current political unrest in Italy. 

My relationship with Rome is like that of a life-long partner who in spite of all their flaws you continue to love, perhaps even more deeply because of their imperfections.   Like an aria bursting with crescendos of vibrant color and poetic melodies of black and white, this is my love song to my favorite mystical eternal city that lingers gently by day and pulsates vivaciously with life into the wee hours of the night.

I dedicate this work to the people and landscapes of Rome, ripe with texture, beauty and a passion for life. A place and a people that has always welcomed me home as if I were one of their own.