A young talent whose persistence led to a long‑awaited debut on Vogue Italia, showcasing the highly evocative images reminiscent of another era
After the episode dedicated to the illustrations of the collective The Palermitaner, we return to the world of art. This time, we spoke with the successful photographer Federico Cannata, who told us his story and how his professional journey began in Modica, a small town in eastern Sicily, before taking him to Milan.
From a town of around 50,000 inhabitants in the deep south of Italy to the stages of Milan, Federico continues to build his career without ever forgetting the land where he was born. We were particularly drawn to his photographic project Sicilitudine (a title crafted out of an invented word from the artist, which would roughly translate to “Sicilianity”), for the striking beauty of the images he captured in Sicily.
Thirty-six years old, Federico was born into what he describes as a “humble” family, with a strong passion for cinema. He defines himself as “always fascinated by beauty,” a fascination that began in childhood at the circus. Later, with his first camera and his earliest shots taken around Modica, this fascination turned into a true passion.
His classmates often paid the price, becoming models whenever needed, while garages and basements were transformed into makeshift sets and the streets of Modica became the backdrop for scenes to be immortalized.
Federico’s dream, however, was to become a fashion photographer. Despite his precarious financial situation, he refused requests to shoot parties and weddings. One evening, at a friend’s birthday party, he noticed that a large number of copies of Vogue magazine were about to be thrown away. He spent the entire evening leafing through them, then took several home, studied them carefully, tore out the pages that inspired him most, and hung them on the walls of his house. His dream now felt tangible: to appear in Vogue. Shortly afterward, an opportunity presented itself—a competition for young photographers, with the winning images published on the magazine’s website. After a year of unsuccessful attempts, he nearly gave up. But in his basement in Modica, decorated with fabrics bought at the market, he took two final shots that put him over the top. The next day, he saw his photographs on the homepage of Vogue Italia’s website, a moment that still makes his eyes sparkle.
From then on, his rise was meteoric: Fashion Week, collaborations with the most renowned fashion brands, and features in the most important magazines. One of the defining traits of his photography is its deep connection to Sicily, to which he has devoted the Sicilitudine project, a series of powerful black-and-white images. To explore his work, you can visit his Instagram profile or email him at ti.liamtoh@atannacociredef to receive a detailed catalogue of the Sicilitudine project.
In his work, Federico deliberately seeks out “dirt” and “grain”—the imperfections that give rise to a grainy aesthetic—which he finds in crumbling walls and in “the backs of vans parked at markets.” “This project is not aimed only at Sicilians,” Federico explains, “but also at those who leave Sicily, and at all those who are struck by Sicilianity—those who perceive this land as something special.” He lives in Milan for his work in the fashion world, but regularly returns to his hometown of Modica. “Milan makes me suffer and Sicily makes me angry,” he adds, “because there is no awareness of its beauty.” His photographs, however, help to create that awareness.
The scenes he portrays are highly evocative, reminiscent of images from another era: children playing soccer or hide-and-seek, elderly women sewing, clothes hanging out to dry along the street. Federico’s work depicts a Sicily that seems to belong to the past, yet still exists—a collection of moments from distant times that remain alive and meaningful today. In an age dominated by social media and an endless flow of images, both real and AI-generated, these photographs allow us to rediscover the beauty of photography itself: an art form that defies time and freezes moments for eternity. Looking at Federico’s images, it becomes clear that this is something we deeply need, and it is no coincidence that his work is so warmly received by the public. Photography, combined with the “slowness” so characteristic of Sicily, creates a blend that conveys serenity, calm, and peace.