BIO
Luca Meola is an Italian documentary photographer focused on marginalized communities and urban extremes. After graduating in Sociology in 2003, he traveled to Bolivia, where he coordinated a shelter for street children and produced his first photo reportage. Between 2005 and 2010, Luca worked as a social researcher at Codici, an independent organization based in Milan dedicated to urban and social issues. After this experience, he devoted himself exclusively to documentary photography.
In 2012, he traveled to Senegal to document the lives of young wrestlers, a project that won awards and was exhibited at Voies Off during the Rencontres d'Arles. In 2014, Luca moved to Brazil, where he worked as a photojournalist for international publications. From 2016 to 2022, he was represented by Luz Photo, an agency based in Milan. In 2018, he joined the Everyday Project, a global community of visual storytellers.
His ongoing documentation of “Cracolândia” in São Paulo — an area marked by crack consumption — highlights both the struggles and humanity of its residents. This project earned him the Colonna Award and first place at the Urban Photo Award in 2021. In 2022, Luca published Selva de Pedra, a photobook exploring the urban extremes of São Paulo. The following year, he received the Militão Augusto de Azevedo Award, a grant from the Museum of the City of São Paulo, to continue his documentation of Cracolândia.
CONTACTS
lucameola@hotmail.com 0055 11 914182845 (Brasil) 0039 349 2509625 (Italy)
AWARDS
2026 — Cracolândia, Finalist, Kolga Award Prize
2025 — Zumbi of Cracolândia, Finalist, LensCulture Street Photography Awards
2025 — Cracolândia, Finalist, World Report Award (Festival Fotografia Etica)
2024 Zumbi, finalist, Premio Ponchielli
2023 Derive e Approdi, shortlisted -OPEN CALL for the Nonprofit World, Festival Fotografia Etica, Lodi
2023 Cracolândia, 1st place, Prêmio Militão Augusto de Azevedo
2023 Cracolândia, finalist, Premio Ponchielli
2022 Cracolândia, finalist, Gomma Grant
2022 Cracolândia, finalist, Romano Cagnoni Award
2021 Cracolândia, 1st place – Urban Photo Award – Trieste Photo day
2021 Cracolândia, 1st place - Premio Werther Colonna, SI FEST 2021
2020 Hospedaria in quarantena, shortlisted -OPEN CALL for the Nonprofit World, Festival Fotografia Etica, Lodi
2020 Peri Alto, a pandemia na periferia, 2nd place - Microbolsa de Fotojornalismo Arb com El País, Brasiil.
2019 Indigenas Urbanos, finalist - Festival International de Fotografia Paraty em Foco
2018 Cidade da Garoa - finalist - Italian Strret Photo Festival, Rome
2107 Cidade da Garoa - winner - Life Framer Contest
2017 Before the Runway - 1st place - Pdn the Look
2016 Cidade da Garoa - portfolio selected - Urban Photo Award
2015 Cidade da Garoa: - finalist - Lensculture Street Photography Award
2015 l'Arène de Dakar: - 3rd place -IPA- Traditions and Cultures
2015 l'Arène de Dakar: - Honorable Mention - MIFA - Editorial - Sport
EXHIBITIONS
2026 — Cracolândia, Kolga Tbilisi Photo, Georgia
2024 — Milano Senza Dimora, Fabbrica del Vapore, Milano
2023 Cracolândia: Festival del Reportage, Ascoli Piceno
2022 Cracolândia: Sifest, Savignano sul Rubicone
2021 Cracolândia: Portfolio Italia, Centro fotografia d’autore, Bibbiena
2021 Cracolândia: Trieste Photo Days
2020 Bisceglie Hub: Carcere Minorile Cesare Beccaria, Milano
2019 Indigenas Urbanos: Festival International de Fotografia PARATY EM FOCO, Brasil.
2017: Brazilian Beach's Notes: aMORE festival moru, Parenzo, Croazia.
2016: Cidade da Garoa: Festival International de Fotografia PARATY EM FOCO, Brasil.
2016 Cidade da Garoa: Trieste Photo Days.
2016 Cidade da Garoa: Zavičajni muzej Poreštine, Parenzo,Croazia.
2016: l'Arène de Dakar : Voies off de le Rencontres de Arles, France.
2015 Figli di Steinert : International Myotonic Dystrophy Consortium Meeting (IDMC) - Paris.
2014 Appunti dall'Isola : ZonaK - Milano.
2013 Khadilaye, una vita a Camberene : Villa Sartirana - Giussano ; Villa Mariani – Casatenovo ; Sala Teodolinda – Missaglia ; Centro Culturale San Clemente – Besana in Brianza.
2011 Perchè non mi guardi? : Corso Garibaldi, Milano.
2008 Incroci di strada : palazzina Liberty, Milano
2004 -2007 Hijos de la calle : Centro Sociale Baraonda, l’associazione Unza, associazione Variazioni, associazione la Scheggia, centro sociale Barrio’s - Milano; casa Pomposa - Rimini; Squinterno Festival - Berceto.