My name is Francesca. I live in Oriolo Romano, near Rome, with my partner, my two children, a cat and many squarrels that roam around the woods surrounding our house. When I was 13, I accompanied my mother on a business trip to China. That trip opened me up to the world and made my curiosity about foreign cultures explode.
At 21, I emigrated to the United States where I remained for the next 9 years. That’s where I discovered photography. During my stay in New York I attended the ICP (International Center of Photography), studied with Amy Arbus (daughter of Diane Arbus) and had the privilege of knowing and working with “sacred monsters” like Irving Penn.
I like working on long-term projects both in Italy and abroad and I love taking portraits. I collaborate with magazines such as Internazionale and with non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children, Amnesty, Greenpeace, etc. In 2020 I published my first book ‘O Post Mio.
Clients and publications include: L’espresso, Internazionale, Io Donna, Gioia, Marie Claire, Foto8, The Independent, The
Wall Street Journal, Die Zeit, NRC, De Standaard, Photo Raw, Save The Children, COSPE, CCO, Amnesty, Greenpeace, ActionAid, The Polish Embassy in Italy, Bulgari, Lego.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibitions
Riaperture Festival exhibition of 'O Post Mio in Palazzo Zanardi, Ferrara, Italy. October 2020.
Polish Padillon “ Polish faces” produced by the Polish Embassy and exposed during the Expo in Milan, Italy.
May – October 2015
Art Up gallery with project “I dream therefore I am” produced by ARCI, Viterbo Italy.
10th – 25th Nov 2009
Group Shows
Festival of Diplomacy, exhibiting of project “Revolutionary people”.
19 – 23th Oct 2015
Women for women, group show Galleria del Cembalo, Roma curated by Manuela de Leonardis and Simona Filippini.
28th Oct – 8th Nov 2014
Time for rebels, exhibiting a picture from my project on revolution in Egypt curated by Stefano Simoncini e Riccardo Venturi in Officine Fotografiche Rome, Italy.
5th – 30th April 2012
Forbidden! group show in Galleria BelVedere curated by Giovanna Calvenzi in Milan, Italy.
16-30 March 2012
SELECTED AWARDS / GRANTS
2021 - Marco Bastianelli photobook prize - Special Mention for book 'O Post Mio
2020 - Paris Photo-Aperture PhotoBook awards - Finalist with book 'O Post Mio
2013 – The Other Hundred Project – Winner with projetc on workers in Medellin, Colombia.
2011 – Amilcare Ponchielli prize – Finalist with project “Land of cement”
2010 – Amilcare Ponchielli prize – Finalist with project “Bed dreams”
2009 – L.A.F. Foundation, Czech Republic – Artist Residency
2009 – Fotoleggendo Festival in Rome – Special Mention for project “Bed dreams”
Editorial work is distributed worldwide by Contrasto agency.
CONTRASTO
Via Nizza 56
00198 Roma
Tel. +39 06328281
www.contrasto.it
CONTACT
+39 3409664356
francescaleonardi@gmail.com
All Images Copyright © 2023
Francesca Leonardi, All Rights Reserved
