From 23 to 27 March, students from the Master of Arts in Fine Arts at RUFA took part in an intensive masterclass dedicated to portraiture as a tool for artistic investigation, led by artist and photographer Giovanni De Angelis.
A learning experience that combined theoretical reflection and practical experimentation, offering students the opportunity to engage with an established artistic methodology and to develop a personal project within a workshop-based context.
A visual project between identity and personal language
The masterclass was structured around the students’ individual artistic aspirations, integrated with the author’s methodological approach, with the aim of guiding each participant in the creation of a visual art project.
Students were asked to develop a photographic or video work centred on portraiture—understood both as the representation of others (classmates) and as self-portrait—drawing inspiration from Giovanni De Angelis’ artistic research. This exploration also engaged with the language of performative portraiture, opening up hybrid expressive possibilities between photography, the body, and staging.
Within the framework of the proposed theme, each student was free to express themselves according to their own aesthetic codes, building a personal path in dialogue with the lecturer, with the aim of producing a final outcome in the form of a presentation—a keynote supported by texts and images—capable of clearly documenting the objectives, processes, and results of the visual project.
The works developed during the masterclass also represent, for many students, the starting point for broader research projects to be further developed within the Master’s academic programme.
A journey between theory, dialogue and practice
The programme was structured across four working days, alternating between theoretical discussion, analysis of the author’s artistic production, and project development.
Following an initial phase of mutual introduction and sharing of the students’ artistic aspirations, the masterclass moved into a deeper exploration of photographic and performative portraiture, including references to staged photography and image construction.
One full day was dedicated to production, with shooting sessions held at the artist’s studio (Studio Luz), during which students created their projects using their own tools and methodologies, supported directly by the lecturer.
The programme concluded with the completion of the works and the presentation of the projects, accompanied by a moment of critical review and discussion, aimed at guiding future individual developments.
Giovanni De Angelis
Neapolitan artist and photographer, Giovanni De Angelis lives and works in Rome and has extensive experience in the field of modern and contemporary art photography. He collaborates with museums, galleries, artists and institutions at both national and international level, and is the author of numerous photographic projects, exhibitions and publications.
His images have been featured in leading Italian and international magazines. He teaches photography in the Bachelor’s programme at DAM (Digital Arts & Media Academy) and is the founder of the Artimages platform, dedicated to art photography.
