Italian photographer Angelo Formato creates a moving series of photos that celebrate the women that shaped him 

During my last visit home in Naples, Italy, I had the opportunity to rediscover the importance of my family which, for a person who lives far away like me, becomes more and more important as the years go by. With this series I wanted to pay homage to the strong women in my life, celebrating the strength and beauty of my mother, sister, aunt and cousin. I also wanted to bring them into my world, make them feel young again. Before shooting, I decided I didn’t want a team, instead relying on the support of loved ones. Makeup and wigs were supplied by my cousin and the clothes were sewn 40 years ago by my mom and my aunt, when they had needed to learn a “trade”.

One of the photos shows a Neapolitan sown script that encapsulates the whole series. It translates to “You can live without knowing why, but you cannot live without knowing for whom.”