Taking inspiration from ancient books, found photographs and writings, the Italian baroque, mythology, and the animal world; a multitude of disparate and diverse forms influence and inform Vizioli’s work.

Drawing sharp focus on the ellipses in experience, Vizioli evokes a sense of dream-like prophesy and confusion. Her fantastical portrait works, shot on film in close cropped compositions, feature gothic characters and creatures in obscure landscapes, who turn from the viewer’s gaze, lost in contemplation of some troubling scene beyond the lens. Lit softly, in a narrow depth of field, the images convey a sense of mystery and darkness.

Delving into the artist’s desires, dreams, prayers, premonitions and remembrances, the photographs are intensely personal, with visual references that are esoteric and instinctual. The models for each shot were selected for their personal characteristics, the artist keen to make “the idea of human completeness disappear, photographing the discrepancy instead of the person”.

Commenting on her work Vizioli states: “I can only honestly show people the way I look at the world, the way I approach the language of photography. I am not interested in documenting the reality around me; the only reality I am interested in is the one that all the creatures I often meet suggest to me, the one I see when I close my eyes, almost sleeping. The only real thing I know is the sharp need I have inside me, that most of the time I don’t know where is leading me. My research is focused on the wide range of human forms and different beauties I find and see.”

Born in Rome, Nicol Vizioli graduated from MA Fashion Photography at London College of Fashion with first class honours in 2011. Her work has been exhibited in Future Map at the Zabludowicz Collection and was shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Student Focus Awards. It has also been exhibited as part of the 15^th Biennale de l’Europe in Greece and Vizioli will be represented and SCOPE Basel later this year.

For more information please visit University of the Arts London website.