Tereza Scerri also known as Terezina and Tessie to her loved ones, is 102 years old, single, full of life. Throughout her life she has experienced many losses. Being born during the first world war and living her childhood during the second world war has not diminished her thirst for finding the joie de vivre.

Tessie' is a photobook inspired by the personal stories of a woman who is 102 years old. Page by page, portrait by portrait, one is drawn into a biographical collage that spans more than a century. It is a photographic narrative accompanied by textual fragments.

'Tessie' is a photobook inspired by the personal stories of a woman who is 102 years old. Page by page, portrait by portrait, one is drawn into a biographical collage that spans more than a century. It is a photographic narrative accompanied by textual fragments.

Tessie 2018 - 2019

Tessie’ is a photo-book inspired by the personal stories of a woman who was 102 years old. Page by page, portrait by portrait, one is drawn into a biographical collage that spans more than a century. It is a photographic narrative accompanied by textual fragments. Tessie is here both the storyteller and the embodiment of all the places, objects and people she tells about. The book is 165 pages of carefully constructed sequences of original and found imagery; delicate portraits dialogue with composites from old family albums. It all unfolds from close ups of jewellery that have been passed down within the family. Throughout the book a bilingual text runs parallel to the visuals.

This project is supported by Arts Council Malta – Malta Arts Fund, and in collaboration with Glen Calleja and Adrian Gauci

Follow a development of the project here

You can purchase the book and prints from here