Portraits of people living in Naples, by British photographer Sam Gregg:
My project focuses on four of central Naples’ historically rich and contemporarily volatile areas – Forcella, Quartieri Spagnoli, Rione Sanità and Santa Lucia. Over a year I was guided by the locals into the heart of this multi-layered city where eccentricity thrives, flamboyant clothing is paired with machismo, and gender politics is the opposite of the expected. Here, where others seek easily identifiable caricatures such as ‘the brute boss’, I saw people filled with contradiction and the troubles and joys of everyday life.
I was invited to share glimpses of their private lives, slowly coming to understand that to see Naples entirely would actually take a lifetime, perhaps giving new meaning to the phrase “See Naples and Die”. This project scratched the surface of my experiences and in many ways is the beginning of an on-going investigation into one of the world’s most vibrant and mysterious cities.
Luigi the Forcella Playboy, 2017. © Sam Gregg
Mary, The Spanish Quarter, 2017. © Sam Gregg
Sanità Boys, Lido Mappatella, 2017. © Sam Gregg
Young Girl and Her Doll, The Spanish Quarter, 2018. © Sam Gregg
Nonna Bathed in Gold, The Spanish Quarter, 2018. © Sam Gregg
Alessandro, Rione Sanità, 2018. © Sam Gregg
Mother & Adopted Daughter, Rione Sanità, 2019. © Sam Gregg
Gennaro, Rione Sanità, 2019. © Sam Gregg
Salvatore, Lungomare di Santa Lucia, 2018. © Sam Gregg
Gianni, his pitbull Brown, and Jesus, The Spanish Quarter, 2019. © Sam Gregg
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