CLOSE

I was born in a small Italian village. The houses all looked alike, everyone spoke the same dialect, families grew up, worked and died in the village. Our collective experience was intimate and common to all of us.
Three years ago I moved to London and have stayed at my current residence for most of this time. My building is made of 20 flats, 10 in each of the 2 floors.
CLOSE is about the residents who populate my building. The idea comes from my desire to meet them. I am interested in seeing how many will let me do it and eventually discovering the similarities between us and the space and we live.
So far I photographer five of them, three have said no and everybody else haven't opened their doors yet.

Richard was born in this flat. He moved out in his twenties and came back when his father died to take care of his mother. He used to enjoy taking landscape photographs. He showed me his collection of cameras and photography magazines. When I met him after the shooting he told me he has been thinking about going back taking pictures

Harry is a graphic designer. I asked him what was his favourite place in the house he said his bedroom

Rose has been living here since 1954. She had three strokes and she has cancer. When I asked her what she would take with her in case of fire she said her medicines

Jasper and Lu has been best friends for 20 years. Lu moved down from the Midlands two weeks ago because she lost her job. Jasper found her a place at King’s Cross train station, where they both work as train cleaner. When I asked Jasper what was the weirder lost object he had found he said a fake leg

Nima is 45 years old and she has 7 children. Her eldest daughter and she didn’t want to be photographed. When I went back to give her same copies she said she will have her portrait taken too