Fragments of human form

The exhibition Fragmented and Whole showcasing works by visual artist Rachel Micallef Somerville is a collection of hand-printed silver gelatin prints depicting several dimensions of the human form. Lara Zammit speaks with the artist about the stories embodied in her prints.

Human connection is the premise behind Fragmented and Whole, Rachel Micallef Somerville’s photography exhibition at Kixott. The prints on display represent an artistic voyage wherein meaning is discovered through personal interrelation between artist and subject. Micallef Somerville describes this as a process of surrender, especially in the context of photographing subjects in the nude.

“Firstly, before photographing anyone nude, I put myself in front of the camera nude ­– a vulnerable state – so I can feel what it is like to surrender oneself to the lens. I approached many of the subjects in the photographs for this exhibition organically, not really knowing who they were before,” she explained.

“For me, they were striking as human beings, and I naturally felt a push to photograph these people. I got to know them through photography, and while they were vulnerable to me, I shared the same vulnerability...