Ana Carvalho

When I was younger, I wanted to build a garden within me. After a personal loss, I felt my inner landscape was miles of arid soil that couldn’t grow life or beauty. I decided to pick up a camera for the first time to collect the beauty I saw before my eyes. The camera I was holding became an extension of myself. During my studies, I developed an interest in street photography, fashion and fine art. I like the stories and the meaning behind a photo, but it was never about the outside; it was about my inner world. I returned to the flowers, to the garden I wanted to grow within. Their fragility speaks to me. It seems they can break or disappear at any time, but they don’t live in fear, they appear to exist above it, accepting that their existence might be brief, but still beautiful. For me, the beauty is not present in a perfect bloom, it’s in the damaged flower that still stands tall: beautifully bruised.