BIOGRAPHY

Steffano Rosselli was born in Livorno and spent his childhood in Piombino, a small industrial town on the Tuscan coast. Growing up in a place where humor was woven into daily life—where making fun of oneself was both entertainment and a way to stay out of trouble—shaped his sensitivity to the tragicomic side of human behavior.

At 20, he began working as a cartoonist for various humor magazines, specializing in political satire and lifestyle. In 1989, at the age of 24, he moved to Milan to pursue a career in advertising. There, he worked as a creative and later as a creative director at several international agencies, including Saatchi & Saatchi and Leagas Delaney. Along the way, he collaborated with celebrated photographers such as Peter Lindbergh and Gian Paolo Barbieri, and with filmmakers including Zack Snyder and Luke Scott.

These collaborations deepened Rosselli’s appreciation for the power of visual storytelling—particularly the art of visual synthesis: the ability to capture an entire narrative in a single frame. That remains the aspiration behind each of his photographs.

While advertising required him to craft idealized, aspirational worlds—where perfection reigned—Rosselli found himself increasingly drawn to documenting people as they really are. His personal photography became a counterbalance to the polished illusions of advertising: a space where he could explore authenticity, rawness, and the often unintentionally humorous quirks of human nature.

Fascinated by the contradictions and paradoxes that define us, Rosselli chooses to approach serious subjects with irony. Though he holds documentary photography in the highest regard, he believes that humor is essential. In his view, we should never take ourselves too seriously—and should embrace the beauty of our imperfections.

He often cites a quote by Elliott Erwitt that encapsulates his approach: “You can find pictures anywhere. It’s simply a matter of noticing things and organizing them. You just have to care about what’s around you and have a concern with humanity and human comedy.As Rosselli does.