As the year turns, many people reflect on the past twelve months through photos, accomplishments and memories. I’ve chosen to look back through gestures.
Throughout the history of Italian culture, over the centuries, from Pulcinella to Pirandello, from quarrels in the street to arias at the opera, we see a cultural disposition to express oneself through hand gestures: the shrugging of the shoulders in resignation; hands clasped together in prayer asking for the courage to move forward. This is the visual language of human emotion, imbued with precise meaning. Over time, these simple everyday gestures have become an art form.
This series of sketches illustrates some hand gestures that I came to know during my time spent in Florence. One-word Italian expressions paired with line drawings that capture the drama of public and private life with humour, but also illustrate the joys and tensions of daily human interactions.
Speaking with hand gestures can be a creative means of expression that enriches and deepens the listener’s understanding of what is said. It is also a lens through which we can interpret and appreciate Italian culture. By expressing emotion through gestures, as well as words, Italians convey the vitality of the human language – a richness we may have lost in a world of digital communication.
So, here is my “year of gestures” – not a traditional year-end review, but a visual anthropology of the Italian spirit and of human connection.
A year of ups and downs.
A year of “Ehhh…”
Of “Senti…” when we needed to be heard.
Of “Ferma!” when we had to stop.
Of “Buonissimo!” when someone got it just right.
And above all, a year of “Piano…” – the gentlest reminder to go slowly.
