ELEMENTO began with an investigation into the sculptural and optical qualities of minerals and gemstones.

Through changes in scale, light and perspective, familiar materials become unfamiliar. Surfaces suggest landscapes, architectural forms and sculptural structures, while transparent crystals transform colour and line through refraction and distortion.

The project developed through two photographic series, MONOCROMO and POLICROMA, each approaching the relationship between material and image differently.

In MONOCROMO, the camera examines the physical qualities of raw minerals, isolating contours, textures and formations that might otherwise go unnoticed.

In POLICROMA, the material becomes an optical instrument. Painted compositions are photographed through transparent crystals, transforming the original image through the movement of light.

Together, the two series explore how photography can shift our understanding of an object, revealing unexpected relationships between material, form and perception.