ADULTHOOD I took this photo a couple of years ago during my trip to South Africa. These young men (16 years old) are called 'Umaquetas'. When they are of age, they return to the bush for circumcision and hunting. Nelson Mandela was subjected to the same ritual. They then come back to the city as "men", as you can see, they are dressed up like adult men. I saw them in the street while I was driving, and stopped to ask them if I could take their picture. I took a few shots and this one looks the best to me. LADY IN THE MARKET A lady from a township in East London, South Africa. She painted her face with white paste (dried white bark from tree, umyityi (xhosa), as many black Africans put on her face to lighten their skin. TWENTY YEARS IN ROBBEN ISLAND This man was imprisoned in Robben Island from 1964 to 1984 condemned of sabotage during the Apartheid. He was a jail mate of Nelson Mandela. The prison is now a museum and he is one of the guides re-telling his life, made of resilience, integrity and the love for justice. WORKERS Three workers of Robben Island, during a break, posed for me. Specs: Camera Nikon 810 35mm Film IlFord HP5 Plus 400 ISO
Daniele Curto was born in Rome on the 25th October 1973, and derives from a humanistic arts education. A Doctorate of Literature, with a Major in Cinema and a Diploma in Photography allows him to juxtapose the disciplines of Journalism and Visual Arts in the most natural way.
Daniele has extensive experience as a Journalist, Cameraman, Photographer and Cinema House Director.
He sees photography as a means to explore himself through the people that surround him. Daniele believes that Photography, and Portraiture especially, is crucial for an artist to define themselves in relation to their environment and their contemporaries. Characterised by an 'amateur' approach to Photography, Daniele is perpetually in search of his identity.
