“Live fully without any fear and love as much as you can… possibly more than you can. La vita e bella.” – Francesca Albarosa (senior). I carry her name, but more than that, I carry her story. This project began as a tribute, but it became something more: a way to bridge the space between the woman my grandmother is and the woman I hope to become.
She’s lived a life shaped by courage. She raised three sons first with her beloved husband and later with her best friend, who was also their teacher.
She was one of the first women in Sicily to graduate from a public relations and political sciences course. She taught. She travelled the world. She speaks seven languages and writes poetry. She’s a woman who made her map—and then handed me the pen. Growing up, people constantly compared me to her, and there’s never been anyone I’d rather be compared to. It filled me with a quiet kind of pride, the kind that grows deeper with age.
She’s also been a true super-grandma—the kind who never sat on the sidelines. She rode motorbikes, horses, skydived, ran, roller skated, danced, parachuted and said yes to every adventure for as long as her body allowed. She is always first in line to join in whatever her grandchildren and children are doing, no matter how wild or active. She is endlessly full of positivity, the kind of person who only ever sees the glass half full, even in the toughest of situations.
For this series, I dressed her in my clothes. Not as a novelty, but as a symbol. Of continuity. Of inheritance. Of what it means when we talk about “becoming” someone—sometimes, that means becoming someone we already love deeply.
Through these images, I wanted to hold her in the present, honour her past, and reflect the future I’m trying to build on her foundation. She’s not just my muse—she’s my mirror. And in these portraits, I see both of us.
Text by Francesca Albarosa (junior)
Photography and Creative Direction by Francesca Albarosa / Instagram: @tangerine_media_
