Rafael Pavarotti, photographer

More than 200 prints are exhibited and compared with photographs from the museum, from the biggest covers of major fashion magazines to portraits of international pop culture stars like Rihanna, Harry Styles, and Beyoncé, as well as campaigns he composed for major fashion houses. The result is a colorful and powerful style that creates strong and unique images.

The personal history of Rafael Pavarotti, born in the state of Pará in the Amazon rainforest in 1993, resonates in his approach to photography. The strong women in his family, his grandmother's bright and colorful tableware, and the natural environment in which he grew up occupy an important place in his sources of inspiration.

Rafael Pavarotti taught himself photography at the age of 12 by taking his father's camera. Four years later, attracted by fashion photography, he left for Rio, then São Paulo, London, before settling in Paris. He has produced numerous series for prestigious fashion magazines such as Vogue, i-D, Acne Paper, and even for the New York Times. His photographic style has established itself in the fashion world and marked the campaigns of many houses such as Dior, Balmain, Margiela, Ferragamo, and L'Oréal.

In February 2022, he stood out with the cover of British Vogue with "As the world turns," which shows nine Black models. Afro-indigenous, Rafael Pavarotti asserts that he wants to work for future generations by creating models that will allow all children to recognize themselves and project themselves, regardless of the color of their skin. Through the highlighting of bodies rarely represented in fashion, he questions the political and social dimension of this industry. He conveys this message through colorful, powerful photographs, sometimes playing with a pop or surrealist spirit, which tell stories: his own, but also those of the models whose memories and ideas he solicits.