Photography as a hidden gift

“I am French Italian, and I was born in 1974. My whole life has been about mixed cultures. I have been in love with photography from a young age. I used to borrow my father’s camera and immediately discovered the infinite range of possibilities with pictures”.

 

Fabiola began her career spanning over thirteen years as a marketing manager for an international company. She lived in many places like France, Luxembourg, Italy, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Mainland China in Shanghai.

 

“These different cultural experiences started opening my eyes to new perspectives.”

 

A revelation and a passion

“My photographic career began as I lived in Hong Kong in 2013, and then Shanghai. Discovering Asia has been a real shock, both cultural and emotional. It opened many new artistic angles for me”.

 

Attracted by the beauty of minds, Fabiola has travelled a lot in Asia, capturing the essence of human beings in faces, hands, as well as landscapes, and cities.

She loves to be a photographer of souls.

 

In love with « moments »

Wherever she settles, the street is her favourite playground and open-air studio. Fabiola’s sharp eyes seize, between light and shadows, the colour, the movement, the moment, the gaze, and the emotion. All this creates a unique treasure in one single shot. It is hard not to feel her passion when you look at her portraits, faces, hands, silhouettes, and landscapes. People are her favourite subject.  

“Capture the moment” is her signature.

 

“The most important in my photographic journey is to connect with people. They are not only subjects behind my lens but also part of what makes me a humanist and respectful photographer. Connecting and sharing authentic bounds with people I feature is key to me. On the other hand, creating meaningful emotions for people looking at my photos is an additional amazing gift.

For all this, I feel grateful.”

 

China, a Love story

“During my experience in China, I have had the chance to discover many stunning and varied places. Not the places you are used to visiting, but more unknown places and hidden gems. If I had to choose two, I would say the North Guangxi region, where the Miao minority is settled, and of course, Shanghai.

 

I fell in love with the Miao region and its inhabitants on my first trip in March 2018. Then I came back seven times. My visits were mainly linked to the French NGO Couleurs de Chine (aka Fang Fang Education Project in China), dedicated to children's education. This is a fascinating region, and the Miao people are very touching. Therefore, my exhibition called “Moments in Life of the Miao People” in 2020 has been an emotional climax and a professional step.

At that time, a new photographic journey started for me.”

 

Fabiola has also covered her six years living in Shanghai with many photos capturing the simplicity and beauty of daily life. Her extended work is an incredible testimony to the heart of this city and its people. The traditional old Shanghai, the Former French Concession, the stunning modern skyline, and the emblematic Bund are so many contrasted, iconic, or modest places like nowhere else in the world!

That’s Her Shanghai!

 

Water from the river in Shanghai has been another starting point for Fabiola. When walking along the Bund or near any puddle, as hypnotised by water reflections, she took many photos thinking about “Reflections” as a state of mind.

 

“From a mirror image to meditation, the reality is merging, like crossfading, with our wishes and hopes.

Let’s have a look at the world from a different angle!

Let’s contemplate life from a new point of view!

It’s a question of attitude.”

 

The pandemic and the terrible 2022 lockdown in Shanghai have been an exceptional and burdensome experience for her. Inside with her beloved ones, but also outside when she was luckily allowed to go out for a few hours, she used her camera to keep being a witness of life, hope, courage, resilience, humanity, and love.

 

The world is hers

Fabiola is a citizen of everywhere and of anywhere. She loves her hometown in the east of France, she loves Paris and Italy, but also London, New York, and Vietnam… to name a few. Each time she travels, she discovers new hidden areas and nourishes herself with new encounters. She has this rare ability to make the place hers, thanks to her sharp, unique, watchful eye as if she was nurturing her surroundings with respect and generous caring.

 

Wherever Fabiola will settle in the future, it could be Europe; it could be the Middle East; it could be the Far West; she will surely keep this onliest eye on the world and share it with us.

 

“Capturing the right moment is my photographic mission.

My eyes, heart, and emotions are my best features!”

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Text by Delphine Gourgues / Words by Delf: www.wordsbydelf.net

Photo by Georges Armando