Portraits of Naples’ ‘young, hot and holy’ artists

Naples has long been a city of contradictions, a place where ancient traditions collide with a surprisingly youthful population. Often, young people tend to move busier cities, but Naples has remained the fifth youngest city in the EU. Capturing the essence of Naples’ youth today, Italian photographer Maria Clara Macrì’s newest project, Holy Sciò, illuminates the faces behind the city’s creative scene.

Born in Reggio Emilia in the North of Italy to a family from Naples, Macrì moved back to the city in her twenties. After making her mark with previous works like In Her Rooms, a deeply intimate portrayal of women in domestic spaces, Holy Sciò sees her turn her lens outward. “This summer, I decided to cross Napoli as if it were New York,” she shares, describing her approach as “an empathetic mapping of universes”. 

The project’s name, Holy Sciò, is a testament to Naples’ dual nature. “Holy” references the city’s spiritual essence, where ancient myths coexist with modern beliefs in an uneasy but beautiful harmony. “Sciò,” meanwhile, is a Neapolitan word used to ward off bad energy. Macrì describes her subjects as modern saints and classical statues, saying, “They’re both timeless and strikingly avant-garde”. The fusion of English and Neapolitan in the title mirrors how Naples absorbs global influences while fiercely maintaining its identity. “This mix reflects a city that’s more metropolitan than ever, a melting pot that places it among the great cultural capitals of the world,” Macrì explains.

Her subjects, cast on random encounters while working around the city, embody the energy that has for years brought her back to Naples. “What I’ve learned from meeting them is that Napoli still gives the same gift it gave me ten years ago – the courage to believe in yourself, to dive into the now with irony and spirituality,” Macrì reflects. This courage, as described by one of her subjects, Carolina, is about “believing in your unique, terrific gut and not giving a fuck”.

The individuals in Holy Sciò are a testament to Naples’ magnetic pull. While it was not intentional, as the project developed Macrì found that the majority of her subjects were young creatives, many perfecting their craft across music, art, film and fashion. Some, like a group of four students from China who came to study art for a year, found themselves unable to leave. “They decided to stay and establish their life here. Napoli is a city that hooks you; it’s a magnet for all your life,” Macrì explains. Other portraits include imagery of the youth with their grandmothers and mothers.

“I hope people will be inspired to see Napoli as a place that embraces, helps, protects and guides the dreamers of this age,” she explains. “Where they can find a family, a community of people that feels like them, and throw themselves in the opportunity of grasping the true wealth of the city that belongs in the art of living.” For Macrì, Holy Sciò is just the beginning, a work she hopes to expand into a full book. Through her lens, Naples’ youth are not just reclaiming their city; they are reshaping it, one image at a time.