More than 200 prints are on display, presented alongside photographs from the museum, ranging from the largest covers of the biggest fashion magazines to portraits of international pop culture stars such as Rihanna, Harry Styles and Beyoncé, as well as the campaigns he has created for major houses. What emerges is a colourful and powerful style, creating strong and unique images.
The personal history of Rafael Pavarotti, born in the state of Pará in the Amazon rainforest in 1993, resonates in his approach to photography. The strong women of his family, the brightly coloured and vivid tableware of his grandmother, but also the natural environment in which he grew up, hold an important place among his sources of inspiration.
Rafael Pavarotti taught himself photography at the age of 12 by taking his father's camera. Four years later, drawn to fashion photography, he left for Rio, then São Paulo, London, before settling in Paris. He has produced numerous series for prestigious fashion magazines such as Vogue, i-D, Acne Paper, and even for the New York Times. His photographic style has established itself in the world of fashion and has marked the campaigns of many houses, such as Dior, Balmain, Margiela, Ferragamo and even L'Oréal.
In February 2022, he stood out with the cover of British Vogue featuring "As the world turns", which shows nine Black models. Afro-Indigenous, Rafael Pavarotti states that he wants to work for future generations by creating images that will allow all children to recognise themselves and project themselves, regardless of the colour of their skin. By highlighting bodies that are rarely represented in fashion, he questions the political and social dimension of this industry. He conveys this message through colourful, powerful photographs, sometimes playing with a pop or surrealist spirit, and which tell stories: his own, but also those of the models whose memories and ideas he draws on.