Exhibiting as part of LIGHTBOX 2026, Niccolò Rastrelli presents a photographic study of the cosplay phenomenon told through a series of family portraits.
NICCOLO’ RASTRELLI, They don’t look like me
They don’t look like me is a photographic study of the cosplay phenomenon by Niccolò Rastrelli, told through a series of portraits in which young protagonists interpret characters that exist only in virtual worlds, allowing them to explore new identities for fun and to better understand themselves and their personalities. The idea that we can change identity by changing our appearance is as old as body consciousness. From theatre to carnival, from religious festivals to initiation rites, the transformation of our appearance is ingrained in our psyche.
The phenomenon of cosplay is perhaps its most contemporary manifestation, embodied by digital natives. The term comes from the abbreviation of “costume + play” that is, “costume play,” and the expression refers to both the act of dressing up and the costume itself.
“Drawing inspiration from John Olson’s photographs published in Life in the 1970s, I portrayed cosplayers as rock stars together with their family to emphasise the contrast not only generational but metaphorical between social identity, represented by mom and dad, and individual identity, told through fictional characters.” Says Rastrelli.
Cosplay originated at comic book conventions in Japan in the early eighties, as a result of the popularity of Japanese animation and manga. Those who practice cosplay have an intense online life and devote their free time almost exclusively to this practice, which becomes a parallel life in every respect.
In the project “THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE ME,” Niccolò Rastrelli investigates this phenomenon, which originated in Asia but has now spread worldwide.
Niccolò was born in Florence in 1977; he is a documentary and portraitist photographer who discovered photography during university, when he bought his first camera using supermarket loyalty points. Since then, his work has focused on people and the expression of their identity, with a perspective that blends humour, authenticity, and lightness.
Screening: January 21 to February 15, 2026