A PLACE TO GROW

A Place to Grow is a meticulously handcrafted photographic series, where each image emerges from direct interventions on fruits and vegetables that, in their apparent decay, become symbolic landscapes of life. Through a visual language that fuses the classicism of traditional still life with a contemporary aesthetic, the work reflects on vital cycles, organic transformation, and the persistence of life. From a technical perspective, the project is built upon rigorous art direction and precisely orchestrated staging. Each vegetable has been manually intervened with natural elements such as moss, roots, dried flowers, and sprouts, creating micro-environments that reference both the biological and the poetic. Lighting plays a central role. Carefully constructed directional and spot lighting setups drawing inspiration from tenebrist painting generate intimate, dramatic, and sculptural atmospheres. Shadow is not absence but a form of language: it shapes textures, emphasizes volume, and elevates the ordinary into an object of contemplation. Tonal transitions between warm and cool lights further distinguish each scene emotionally, granting every piece its own chromatic narrative. The compositions follow a centralized and contained vision, with neutral, dim backgrounds that isolate the subjects and focus the viewer’s attention on their formal structure. “I wanted to find a balance between the stillness of classical still life and a subtle visual tension arising from the contrast between emerging life and fading matter,” explains Nando Esteva. “This series stands at a crossroads between photography and sculpture, between controlled studio technique and raw material sensitivity. A Place to Grow doesn’t document objects; it transforms them into symbols of resilience small allegories of life’s quiet power to break through.”