As a long-time fan of photographer Mario Testino’s iconic fashion editorials and celebrity portraits, I was delighted to attend A Beautiful World: an exhibition of 70 large-format photographs presented together for the first time at the Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome.
Although Testino’s signature aesthetic of bringing rich hues and complex details to life through a masterful use of natural light is instantly recognisable in each portrait, this is a body of work most notable for the artist’s departure from their expected subject matter.
Instead of photographing his usual supermodel and celebrity muses wearing high-end designer brands, Testino turned the focus of his camera lens onto the indigenous tribespeople, nomads and members of various religious orders that he met on his travels through more than thirty different countries during the past seven years.
These people are not models. They are not rich, famous or #trending. Hell, most of them had never seen a camera before they met him; or knew who Testino was.
And yet, as I browse through the images on display, I am struck by how at ease his subjects seem to be with him, how regally they pose for him, how proud they are to show off the traditional dress and cultural costumes that signify who they are.
By documenting these often-invisible people and their everyday attire, Testino has not only captured unknown, unseen, and all-too-quickly disappearing evidence of cultural heritage; he has also brought an international level of attention to the importance of collective identities.
‘It is a celebration of difference,’ Testino says of his work. ‘But it is also about belonging, and the harmony that we can achieve when we demonstrate what unites us whilst retaining the contrasts that distinguish us.’
As I step out of the art gallery and back into the sweltering heat of summertime Rome, I know that my world view has been inexplicably enriched by Testino’s uncanny ability to tell powerful stories through vivid stills imagery.
As a Westerner worried about the future of our angry, segregated world, it makes me yearn to belong to a cohesive collective and to connect more fully with my fellow humans. And that is the power of this incredible photographic artist. His work moves us. Changes us. Inspires us to be better people. And that, I believe, is the most important message of all.
A Beautiful World by Mario Testino is on show at the Palazzo Bonaparte in Rome until 25th August 2024. Get your tickets here.