Every time I travel to Bologna, especially for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, I am fascinated by the bright colors of the city. Since 2011, I have made a habit of photographing these details and the care that local people put into their homes and buildings.

I see these colors and layers of paint as a way of mending the walls. They become like the skin of the buildings, showing traces of the past through their worn and changing surfaces. Sunburns, tattoos, wrinkles, scars, and wounds — each mark tells a story. Underneath the paint, there is a rich history, with layers that reveal the lives that came before.

I would like to bring these images together in a book, creating a collection of colors and textures that celebrates Bologna’s unique “make-up”.