Bio

The Work of Mattia Baldi

Mattia Baldi, an Italian photographer known for his distinct visual language and explorations of human emotion and societal structures, has carved a niche in the contemporary art world. His work is characterized by a profound engagement with the themes of identity, culture, and the human condition, often presenting a compelling narrative that invites viewers to delve deeper into the subjects he captures.

A recurring theme in Baldi's photography is the exploration of identity, both individual and collective. His work often delves into the ways in which personal and cultural identities are constructed and expressed. In his series focusing on different cultural groups, Baldi highlights the unique attributes and traditions that define these communities, while also examining the universal aspects of human experience that connect us all. Baldi's approach to cultural documentation is respectful and insightful, avoiding the pitfalls of exoticism and stereotyping. Instead, he presents his subjects with dignity and authenticity, allowing their stories to unfold naturally within the frame. This approach not only provides a window into the lives of diverse groups but also encourages a dialogue about the complexities of identity in a globalized world.

Mattia Baldi's photography is a testament to the power of visual art to illuminate the human experience. His work is a delicate balance of aesthetic beauty and profound insight, offering a lens through which to explore the complexities of identity, culture, and society. Through his technical skill, emotional depth, and narrative sophistication, Baldi has established himself as a significant voice in contemporary photography, challenging viewers to see the world through a more thoughtful and compassionate perspective.

In a world saturated with images, Baldi's photographs stand out for their ability to capture not just what is seen, but what is felt. They remind us of the shared humanity that connects us all, inviting us to engage more deeply with the people and stories that surround us. As we continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the modern world, Baldi's work offers a poignant reminder of the enduring power of art to inspire, provoke, and unite.

Studies

Mattia Baldi was born in 1983 in Rome, Italy. His passion for art was inherited from his family; Mattia's great-uncle, Raffaele Baldi, was also a commercial and artistic photographer, active in the 1920 and ’30s. Raffaele Baldi taught himself photography as a boy and later went into business as an architectural photographer working close by to James Anderson’s studio in Rome. He first encountered Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, the mastermind and leader of the iconoclastic Futurist movement, in 1930. Aside from his forays into abstraction, of which Linear Harmonies is an example, Baldi's Futurist experiments included photomontages and the first photograms made under the banner of Futurism. He lived all of his life working as a professional photographer and as an artist. Mattia’s father Mauro shared a similar passion for art with his uncle, Raffaele, since a young age he was introduced to the art of photography at a high level, studio shooting and darkroom printing techniques. Mauro has worked in Italy as photo editor and journalist for different publishing houses active in the ’80s especially active for the magazine Fotografare. Mauro and other members of Mattia’s family introduced him from a young age to a variety of subjects not exclusively photo related, like: British literature, Religion from West to East, novels of the the Victorian Age and Romanticism. The creative members of his family stoked these interests as he developed his love for art in his parents' house, heavily influenced by art and literature-based around these subjects. Mattia started with FineArt In 1995, He began working as a painter and b/w ink illustrator for magazines and Art Fairs and in 1999 he progressed to working on oil paintings on canvas. After graduating from the Traditional Artistic High School he attended with full scholarship The Academy of Fine Art in Rome, graduating with top marks, and receiving a bachelor's degree in Classical Painting. In the early 2000s, during his studies at the Academy, he found his family roots and the power of b/w photography. He began to understand the unique way it could assist him in his visual researches on people, working closer to reality than with painting. Admiring and studying the technique from Irving Penn, Helmut Newton and Ansel Adams Mattia have a deep understanding of traditional photographic processes and darkroom work. In 2004 Mattia completed his Master's degree in Photography at S.R.F. in Rome, where he continued to develop his skills into studio work and large format photography. During this time Mattia have worked exclusively in film, mostly B/W, shooting casting shots of models and actors active in Rome in early 2000.

Moving to Asia

A year after his Master in photography Mattia decided to move to Asia. His first location was Beijing. Mattia's interest in Asia was based on his immense curiosity toward Taoism, Eastern religions and traditional Chinese beliefs. Living in Beijing across the Olympic games was an incredible experience, Mattia used to walk around the city with his large-format camera getting interested in the reality that was reinventing itself under his eyes. Later on, this work became a book published independently. Working as a photographer as well as studying ancient Chinese culture Mattia passed in Beijing for more than 6 years. Mattia in Beijing has cooperated and worked for major clients like RDM, Times Art Museum, Microsoft, and Facebook; he was a photography and media professor at the Beijing Capital Normal University. With the international experience gained in 2013, Mattia came back to his country and worked in Italy as a digital content photo editor for ENI. Winning the same year's best corporate website in Europe and in the World Mattia was asked to move to Bangkok, Thailand to work for WPP on the client Ford. For several years Mattia was In-house Photographer for WPP Advertising Agencies (GTB-Prism-JWT) creating and assisting with many successful advertisement campaigns as a photo editor first and later on as a lead photographer. From 2015 to 2018 Mattia worked for ASEAN markets and the Chinese market from the WPP (GTB) office in Shanghai. In 2019 Mattia started his own photography studio business working in Singapore, Shanghai, and Bangkok where he’s currently based. In 2020, Seipersei printed and distributed Mattia’s first fine art photography book: “Casting a Book About Women”.

Back to Europe

in 2023 Mattia decided to move back to Europe. Now based in Paris, France has already started to shoot his next book project that will involve Paris’s long history and culture. Travelling for advertising shoots from Europe to Asia Mattia prefers to be reached by email:

contact@mattiabaldi.com