They don't look like me

The project “THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE ME” aims to explore the Cosplay global phenomenon. This practice, which has gained significant popularity among young people, responds to a current need, where the body doesn’t have to be beautiful but, above all, must be seen, photographed, and viewed by everyone through the internet and beyond. The various interpretations of the phenomenon are described through a series of portraits, where young protagonists embody characters from the world of animation, exploring new identities for fun, but also to better understand themselves and their personalities. Drawing inspiration from John Olson’s photographs published in Life magazine in the 1970s, photographer Niccolò Rastrelli traveled to Italy, Kenya and Japan to portray cosplayers like rock stars alongside their families. These amusing images, along with their stories, aim to highlight not only the generational but also the metaphorical contrast between social identity, represented by mom and dad, and individual identity, expressed through fantasy characters. Furthermore, the family portraits offer a representation of cultural diversity while at the same time presenting the image of a phenomenon that is widespread around the world and connects generations of digital natives.