Vitiligo is a chronic condition characterized by depigmented patches of skin due to the loss of melanocytes.It is affects 1 to 2% of the world’s population regardless of age, sex or ethnic background.While the exact causes of the disease remain unknown.Vitiligo inevitably raises questions about beauty, identity, and change.The emotional effects of stigmatization can be devastating – low self-esteem, anxiety, or even depression.In other words, the impact of vitiligo goes way beyond the skin..One of my guiding principles for this project has been to capture an authentic image of my subjects, all of whom overcame their biggest hurdle – the gaze and judgment of others – and, with great courage and humility, showed themselves as they are, restoring to their bodies the personal dignity they had lost. Showing their bodies was not easy for them, but by doing so they have demonstrated an ability to accept themselves and their diversity.
Rosa Mariniello, photographer and architect based in Rome, Italy.
