Alys Tomlinson - Su Beccu e Su Aprarzu, Ollolai, Sardinia
The photographs in Gli Isolani (The Islanders) by Alys Tomlinson, inhabit a hinterland between fiction and reality. Over a period of two years, Tomlinson documented the traditional costumes and masks worn during festivals and celebrations on the islands of the Venetian lagoon, Sicily and Sardinia.
The project explores ritual, tradition and identity in islands of the Venetian lagoon, Sicily and Sardinia. Photographed amongst crumbling stone, dramatic rocks and rural fields, the portraits capture traditional costumes and masks worn during festivities and celebrations on these Italian islands.
The series reflects the importance of community and togetherness in an increasingly discordant world. In maintaining these traditions passed down through generations, the images capture some of the mystery and atavism of these deep-rooted cultural rituals and beliefs.
Alys is a photographic artist based in London. She works mostly in black and white analogue on a large format camera, exploring themes of faith, ritual and identity. Her first monograph Ex-Voto was published by GOST Books in 2019 and Lost Summer was self-published in 2020. Alys recently finished work on a feature-length documentary film Mother Vera co-directed with Cécile Embleton. Her latest project Gli Isolani (The Islanders) was published by GOST Books in 2022.
The photographs in Gli Isolani (The Islanders) by Alys Tomlinson, inhabit a hinterland between fiction and reality. Over a period of two years, Tomlinson documented the traditional costumes and masks worn during festivals and celebrations on the islands of the Venetian lagoon, Sicily and Sardinia.
The project explores ritual, tradition and identity in islands of the Venetian lagoon, Sicily and Sardinia. Photographed amongst crumbling stone, dramatic rocks and rural fields, the portraits capture traditional costumes and masks worn during festivities and celebrations on these Italian islands.
The series reflects the importance of community and togetherness in an increasingly discordant world. In maintaining these traditions passed down through generations, the images capture some of the mystery and atavism of these deep-rooted cultural rituals and beliefs.
Alys is a photographic artist based in London. She works mostly in black and white analogue on a large format camera, exploring themes of faith, ritual and identity. Her first monograph Ex-Voto was published by GOST Books in 2019 and Lost Summer was self-published in 2020. Alys recently finished work on a feature-length documentary film Mother Vera co-directed with Cécile Embleton. Her latest project Gli Isolani (The Islanders) was published by GOST Books in 2022.