Studio Panicale | Transcendent Tuscany, May 2022

In May 2022, after the long, disorienting stretch of the pandemic and the upheaval of starting a new job, I found myself needing something I couldn't quite name. A place to breathe again, a way to reset, and an opportunity to reconnect with the quieter, more expansive parts of myself.

That search brought me to Studio Panicale in Tuscany, where I spent a residency surrounded by the region's lush meadows and rolling hills. It felt like exactly the kind of environment my body and spirit were asking for.

During my time there, I gave myself permission to slow down completely. I spent days walking through the countryside, practicing meditation and breathwork, allowing my senses to absorb the landscape without hurry or expectation. It was a practice of deep listening—to nature, to memory, and to the rhythms within myself.

Experimenting with photography became a natural extension of that process. I used kaleidoscope lens glasses to fragment and layer the images I captured, seeking to reflect the complexity and richness of the world around me. The result was a series of psychedelic, textured photographs—images that feel at once grounded and dreamlike, tactile and otherworldly.

Looking back, the residency offered more than just a creative reset. It taught me how valuable it is to make space for stillness, to notice the subtle shifts in light and landscape that often go unseen. It reminded me that transformation isn't always loud; sometimes it unfolds quietly, inviting us to simply pay attention.