Sa

Sa
Pippia (which roughly translates from Italian as “Little
Girl”) is a photographic exploration of Em Dessi-Makin’s
Sardinian heritage. Over the course of the winter months in
which 2019 turned into 2020, she travelled from the South Sardinian
comune of Burcei, through
Cagliari – the island’s capital – to San Sperate and Cabras,
taking photos of people and objects that, to her, represented home.

The images capture moments of serenity and reflection: we see
plants and traditional clothing, admire views and enjoy snatched
moments of pause during carnival celebrations. It’s a calming,
almost therapeutic, collection of work that echoes the slow pace of
life on the Mediterranean island – an effect enhanced by the use of
a medium format camera and hand development.

Many viewers find themselves drawn to the image of a pink
curtain blowing in the breeze that trickles through a small alley
in central Cagliari. It’s the only time that the wind takes a
central role in the series, dancing with the cotton sheet away from
the gaze of the afternoon sun.

The album is saturated with reds, blues and pinks – red being a
predominant colour in the Sardinian
flag and traditional costume, blue mirroring the sky and sea, and
pink reflecting the magenta which bleeds between the two. It’s a
palette that seeps from Sardinia’s towns to its villages, a visual
reminder of the sense of continuity and community felt across the
island.

@em_mkn | emdessimakin.com