Artist Statement
Nature is misleading. Reality is an interpretation of repeated phenomenons leading us to think how is the truth and what it should look like. At times, though, there are situations that show us reality in a way we didn't imagine, in a way we did not know. At times there are weather conditions upsetting the logical idea we have of nature. The way we were accustomed to see what is around us fades away, leaving space to a new reality, an altered perception. But. Is it really altered?

Nature is deceiving. The beauty of nature lies in its continuous transformation. Never the same, never changing, yet different. The four elements playing together to shape reality instant by instant. Process Statement
The process of taking the shots involves a lot of patience, as they are mostly taken on the Himalaya, thanks to long journeys to reach places through which I feel something. Then a tripod, a good natural light and little work on Photoshop focused on contrast, dodging and burning to express the memories of those feelings.

 

 

Luigi Fieni has photographed landscapes, culture, and the artistic cultural heritage of the Himalaya for nearly two decades, while working as a conservator of Tibetan art, for a project funded by The American Himalayan Foundation.

As his background is mostly painting, his work is constantly trying to merge photography with painting, experimenting on movement, blur and emotions, trying to produce photographs that are as pictorial as possible.

Fieni never had a proper mentor but the books of his favorite photographers. Toscani’s subversity, Koudelka’s intensity, Salgado’s emotions, Fontana’s abstractionism and Ansel Adams’ technique. The art of Schiele, Munch, Klimt and the whole impressionism movement were a strong source of influence as well.

Exhibitions have been held in America, Europe and Asia, and his work is part of private collections worldwide, counting prominent venues such as The Manggha Museum (Krakow, Poland), the Taragaon Museum and The Contemporary Art Collection of The Vatican Museums (Vatican City).

Several of his photographs have been nominated in international photography contests, including the selection for the Prize Voies Off 2013, the Black and White Spider Awards, a Honorable Mention in the 7th Photography Masters Cup and a bronze and 2 silvers in the One EyeLand Photography Awards 2013-2014 and a second place and a Honorable Mention in the Photo Annual Awards 2014-2015.

As a photographer, Fieni has collaborated with The National Geographic Society, The North Face, The Getty Images, The Mill Valley Film Group, Skydoor Productions, The American Himalayan Foundation, The Kham Aid Foundation, HPRC and Bauer Media.

Born in Italy in 1973, Luigi Fieni studied aeronautical engineering at the University of Rome "La Sapienza", and then conservation of mural paintings at the "Ars Labor Conservation Institute" in Rome. He started his career as an art conservator in 1999, assisting in a prestigious conservation project in the Himalaya. He then became the lead conservator and worked mainly in Nepal, Bhutan, and China, restoring ancient Buddhist art and training local people to preserve their own cultural heritage.

His work as a conservator of Tibetan art and his projects appeared in many major newspapers and magazines worldwide, including The New York Times, The Guardian, The Herald Tribune, The Washington Post, The National Geographic Magazine, and Geo Magazine.

He also appeared in several documentaries including Mustang: Journey of Transformation (Mill Valley Film Group, 2008), Lost Caves Temples (National Geographic, 2009), Secrets of Shangri-La: Quest for Sacred Caves (National Geographic, 2009), Les Chemins du Silence (RTS Switzerland, 2012), Mustang - Das Tor Zum Himmel im Himalaya (3Sat Germany, 2013), Mustang: Le Royaume Des Peintres Paysans (France 5, 2015).

Currently he is represented by PhotoEye Gallery (Santa Fe, USA), HyPHen Gallery (Bucharest, Romania), Streaming Art (The Hague, The Netherlands), Dream and Art (Krakow, Poland) and Pandora Art Gallery (Bangkok, Thailand). He works as a photographer, for Getty Images and The American Himalayan Foundation, he lives in Nepal and he devotes his time to photography and to the preservation of the Tibetan culture.

 

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