Valentina Bracaforte is a Sicilian photographer from Catania. Born in 1983, she began taking pictures in 2012, a period in which her life was divided between Catania and Palermo for work reasons. After years dedicated mainly to portrait photography, she began to tell and record the stories that surround her, with a focus on social and environmental issues and scientific innovation.

Valentina considers photography not only as an instrument of documentation, but also as a means of exploring and understanding the human condition and above all as a means of artistic expression. 

She has exhibited in Italy (‘Novecento, Artisti di Sicilia. From Pirandello to Guccione.’ – Collective curated by Vittorio Sgarbi; ‘La Ricerca della Bellezza’ – Collective curated by Letizia Battaglia) and is one of the authors of the project “Il Cantico di Librino” curated by Antonio Presti and Fiumara d’Arte.

She collaborates with the publishing house Readerforblid on some of their book covers. 

An excerpt from one of her most recent works, Paîs, was published in the March/April 2023 issue 340 of ‘Il Fotografo’ magazine.

In 2023 she won the international award ‘Premio Chatwin’ with the work ‘Habitat – Mongolia’.

EXHIBITIONS 2024

• Solo exhibition ‘Paîs’ – Modica (Palazzo dei Mercedari – Luce Iblea Prize)

• Solo exhibition ‘The Breath of Biancavilla’ – Catania (Inail Catania headquarters, in collaboration with Catania University and Inail)

• ‘Blu Sicilia. Il mare nell’arte isolana dal Novecento alla Contemporaneità.’ Art Collective curated by Sikarte – Modica (Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso)

EXHIBITIONS 2023

• Solo exhibition ‘Nero Latte’ – Palermo (Fiaf Arvis Gallery)

• Solo exhibition ‘Habitat – Mongolia’ curated by CollettivoF – Palermo (Municipal Historical Archive)

• Solo exhibition ‘Paîs’ curated by Salvo Zito – Siracusa (Fototeca Siracusana)

• ‘Paîs’ – Cuneo (festival | PAESAGGI | 2023 curated by FormicaLab)

EXHIBITIONS 2022

• ‘Paîs’ – Palermo (The International Centre for Photography at ZAC – Marenostrum International Festival of Mediterranean Photography)

• Solo exhibition ‘Paîs’ curated by Carmelo and Mattia Stompo – Catania (2LAB)

EXHIBITIONS 2020-2021

• ‘Novecento, Artists of Sicily. From Pirandello to Guccione.’ Art Collective curated by Vittorio Sgarbi – Noto (Convitto delle Arti), Catalog Ed. G. Mondadori

EXHIBITIONS 2019 -2024

• ‘ Il Cantico di Librino’ – collective project and photographic installation curated by Antonio

Presti and the Fiumara d’Arte -Librino

EXHIBITIONS 2017

• Solo exhibition ‘The light of the South East. Traveling between Laos and Vietnam’ curated by Sebastiano Favitta, Text of the exhibition by Domenico Amoroso. – Caltagirone (Museum of Photography in collaboration with Luigi Ghirri Photo Gallery)

• Photographic collective ‘The Search for Beauty’ curated by Letizia Battaglia – Palermo (Palazzo Notarbartolo); Messina (Salone della Borsa)

AWARDS 2023

• International CHATWIN PRIZE – Walking the World 2023: winner with the ‘Habitat – Mongolia’ portfolio

• ‘Francesco Vitali Salatino’ Special Award (16th Portfolio Jonico – 20th Portfolio Italia 2023) with the ‘Nero Latte’ portfolio

AWARDS 2021

• 20th MARCO PESARESI Award for Contemporary Photography: finalist with the project ‘Paîs’

AWARDS 2020

• ITALIAN COLLECTION 2020 (Italy Photo Award) with the ‘Historias Marginales’ portfolio