Andy Rocchelli: “Russian Interiors” – Intimate Portrait of Women in their Private Spaces

Andy Rocchelli graduated in 2007 at the Polytechnic University of Milan where he was awarded a master's degree in Communications Design. Subsequently, he was trained by Magnum Photos photographer Alex Majoli. In 2008, with other four photographers, he founded Cesura, a photographic collective aiming to produce independent projects. He worked as a freelance photojournalist with a diversified curriculum. He documented the Arab Spring in Libya and Tunisia, the violation of human rights in Kyrgyzstan and Ingushetia, the conditions of migrants in Southern Italy and organized crime.

Italy –

Andy started to travel to Russia in 2010; there he spent a considerable amount of time working asa freelance photographer. During this time he covered several stories in different places.The book Russian Interiors, however, sees the light as side job to cover his expenses while staying in Moscow; he challenged local professional competitors, accustomed to work in dedicated environments, by offering low cost portraits to single women in their apartments. Quickly this expedient bloomed into a hefty body of work.

This obtained women’s archive takes all kinds including photos he shot for his customers and photos he kept for himself. The core of this work though is deeper than what the commercial shot he was paid for portrays. Soon this method developed into a key to get access to private spaces and stories, to better understand an intimate side of Russian women.

“Personal and sensuous portraits of Russian women taken to cover up for the side expenses, for me is an unforgettable reflection that allures into Andy Rocchelli’s archive, who left us quite early.” – Manik Katyal

Photography feature – Andy Rocchelli‘s ‘Russian Interiors’ was selected as one of the ‘Most Interesting Photobook of 2014‘ by Manik Katyal.