As a photographer, I observe the world through the lens of paradox. My long-term projects explore subjects ranging from the plight of wildlife to the influence of brands on collective identity. Rather than resolving contradictions, I hold opposing truths in tension, allowing the essential to emerge.
Through extremes, clarity arises.
In my images, beauty and discomfort coexist. Certainty collapses, and deeper understanding begins. By contrasting ideas, forms, and emotions, I reveal the boundaries of meaning—and in pushing against them, truth becomes visible.
These tensions become entry points, inviting viewers to sit with discomfort, hold conflicting interpretations, and question what they consider immovable.
Art is not about resolution—it is confrontation. Confrontation with the self, with the world, with the beliefs we live by. Through paradox, I challenge perception, evoke uncertainty, and create space for complexity. In that space, truth reveals itself not as an answer, but as a layered, evolving question.
Federico Pestilli is born in Rome in 1985. His work is the result of his international training. After earning a degree in history at the Sorbonne in Paris, he moved to New York to train in the field of fashion. It is here that he begins to develop an independent body of work which leads him to explore remote corners of the world. He lives and works between London and Rome.