Paul Gambin
Paul Gambin is an Italian-British photographer and visual artist based between London and the Sacred Valley of Cusco, Peru. He uses photography, audio, and video to dissect and analyze themes related to culture, love, and perception. Over the course of his career, his photographic vision has developed by questioning the ethics of the medium to focus on the relationship between subjectivity and objectivity. Often collaborating with the people he photographs, Paul uses various senses, materiality, and perception to construct narratives that combine multiple perspectives, inviting the viewer to build their own reality. His work has been published in national and international media outlets such as Le Monde, National Geographic, The New York Times, El País, The Financial Times, La República, and Die Zeit, among others. He has exhibited his work nationally and internationally in solo and group exhibitions, showcasing his projects at FFI (Argentina), San Jose Foto (Uruguay), and Vannes Photos Festival (France), among others. He is a National Geographic Explorer, a freelance photographer for Reuters and Bloomberg, a regular contributor to Le Monde and its magazine M, and co-director of Maleza Casa Estudio, an art center, exhibition space, and public library dedicated to promoting and developing art in the Cusco region. In 2024, his first book ‘Parlami d’Amore’ was nominated for the Star Dummy Award.
Parlami d’amore
In "Parlami d’Amore", the artist embarks on a deeply personal odyssey, exploring themes of home, love, and family. The project serves as a poignant exploration, intertwining various elements to illuminate the complexity of his experiences. At its core, "Parlami d’Amore" emerges as a narrative tapestry, weaving together images that capture the artist’s ancestral home nestled in the heart of Tuscany, with Renaissance paintings from Florence and auditory, musical, and lyrical elements from the artist’s childhood. These images not only portray the physical essence of the place but also symbolize the emotional sanctuary it once represented. However, this sanctuary begins to crumble in the wake of a profound loss: the sudden death of the artist’s mother due to a fatal heart attack. As the foundation of his family refuge collapses, memories of cherished moments and heartfelt reflections flood the artist’s consciousness. These memories are articulated through the dual perspective of Paul’s identity, oscillating between his British upbringing and his deep connection to his Italian heritage. Additionally, "Parlami d’Amore" transcends the visual medium, intertwining with evocative melodies that once filled the artist’s childhood home. The songs, imbued with the essence of his mother’s presence, serve as a touching soundtrack to his reminiscences, evoking a powerful sense of nostalgia and longing. Meanwhile, the Renaissance paintings and the scenes they depict serve to remind and anchor us to an idea of love and family values that have permeated modern history. Through this multifaceted exploration, "Parlami d’Amore" emerges as a testament to the artist’s journey of self-discovery and reconciliation, the enduring power of love, resilience, and the profound impact of familial bonds in shaping one’s identity and sense of belonging. The visual project is influenced by ideas and musical techniques, using “samples” of various graphic elements (such as screenshots of Italian/English music and songs) as if the complex visual piece were a song that recalls other voices and melodies, uniting a collection of aesthetics and parts of the project into a visual mixtape.
Paul Gambin