recent highlights:
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bfa senior lele bonizzi opens ‘mães unidas,’ in usu projects gallery
September 30, 2024
Lele Bonizzi, from the series, “Mães Unidas”
“Mães Unidas,” a solo exhibition by USU senior BFA photography major Lele Bonizzi is on view September 30-October 4, 2024 at USU’s Projects Gallery.
“Mães Unidas,” features photographs from Bonizzi’s 2024 USU Peak Summer Research Fellowship, where Bonizzi joined Mães Unidas (United Mothers) to work with single mothers in Porto Seguro, Brazil. Led by and composed exclusively of women, the NGO fosters a revenue model designed to directly benefit its members by offering free training in sewing and providing an avenue for self-sustenance through the sale of crafted garments and upcycled clothing. The organization also offers free food and financial support to mothers who cannot participate in the training.
“Throughout Brazil, where half of all mothers are single, women face profound challenges—including securing stable employment, accessing education and healthcare, and providing for their families,” Bonizzi says. “The prevalence of single motherhood is deeply connected to teenage pregnancy, poor education, domestic violence, and a lack of robust social support structures. Despite the critical need, these mothers often become invisible—ostracized by a society that shames them although they are a product of its very structure.”
While in Porto Seguro, Bonizzi met with more than 20 single mothers—building meaningful connections by photographing day to day activities and conducting photo-elicitation interviews (PEI). PEI is a methodology that prioritizes collaborative storytelling and deep listening to document and facilitate conversation and understanding. The method involves creating photographs with (not strictly of) participants and then engaging them in interviews and conversations about the images, eliciting responses that illuminate understanding and create more complex, nuanced narratives. Through this approach, Bonizzi’s objective was to create a narrative that transcended a singular viewpoint, fostered a collaborative exchange, amplified participant agency, and honored the community’s identity and resilience.
Eleonora Lele Bonizzi is a fine arts documentary photographer whose work explores critical social issues, with particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ rights and immigration. Currently a senior BFA major in photography at USU, Bonizzi has exhibited their work nationally and internationally. Bonizzi is the recipient of Ralph T. Clark scholarship, 2023 and 2024 USU SARG fellowships, and is a 2024 USU Peak Fellow and USU Robins Awards Talent of the Year awardee.
The USU Projects Gallery is located on the ground floor of the USU FAV building and is open Mon-Fri, 9-5.