Mariana is a Brazilian photographic artist whose work blends the evocative aesthetics of pictorialism with the raw spontaneity of street photography. Her images exist at the intersection of documentary and dreamlike interpretation, transforming everyday moments into timeless visual narratives. Through her lens, she seeks to reveal the poetry in the ordinary, capturing the hidden beauty within fleeting glances, shifting light, and urban landscapes.
Having lived in France, Singapore, South Korea, and now Rome, Italy, Mariana’s multicultural experiences have profoundly shaped her artistic vision. Immersed in Rome’s rich history and dynamic streets, she explores themes of memory, identity, and transience, using photography as a medium to bridge past and present, reality and imagination.
With a doctorate in quantum physics, Mariana approaches photography with a spirit of experimentation, combining technical precision with creative exploration. Her scientific background informs her deep understanding of light, perception, and the fluidity of time, elements she manipulates through techniques such as long exposure, double exposure, and stop motion. Whether working with digital or film, she embraces photography as both an analytical and emotional process, crafting images that challenge perception and invite introspection.
Mariana’s work invites viewers into a world where reality and abstraction coexist, where structured composition meets the unpredictability of life. Through her distinctive visual language, she transforms fleeting moments into immersive, thought-provoking experiences that transcend cultural and temporal boundaries.
EDUCATION:
Seeing Through Photographs
MoMA - The Museum of Modern Art
Photography Basics and Beyond Specialization:
- Photography Techniques: Light, Content, and Sharing
- Principles of Photo Composition and Digital Image Post-Production
- Camera Control
- Cameras, Exposure, and Photography
- Photography Capstone Project
Michigan State University
Graduation, Master and Phd in Quantum Physics
BEHIND THE SCENES
Photography, for me, is a bridge between reality and imagination, a space where fleeting moments are transformed into timeless narratives. My work explores memory, identity, and the emotions embedded in places, light, and textures. Through my lens, I seek to reveal the unseen, uncovering intimate stories hidden within the fabric of everyday life.
My artistic practice blends pictorialism with street photography, merging the spontaneity of urban life with the evocative aesthetics of painting. I am particularly drawn to techniques that challenge perception—long exposure, double exposure, and stop motion—allowing me to blur the boundaries between the tangible and the dreamlike. This interplay of techniques invites viewers to engage with my images emotionally, finding their own connections within the visual narratives I create.
BIOGRAPHY
Brazilian photographic artist Mariana captures the essence of diverse cultures and landscapes through a distinctive fusion of pictorialism and street photography. Her artistic vision is deeply influenced by her experiences living in France, Singapore, South Korea, and now Rome, Italy. Immersed in Rome's rich history and dynamic street scenes, she crafts compelling visual narratives that transcend cultural boundaries, blending documentary authenticity with painterly aesthetics.
Her work is characterized by a strong storytelling depth and an intimate, evocative style, often drawing on personal experiences to explore themes of memory, identity, and the passage of time. This is particularly evident in projects such as Caminho dos Gerais, Ethereal Echoes of Happy Times, and Shadows of Solitude: A Silent Dialogue, where she weaves emotional narratives through light, shadow, and texture. Her recent exploration of pictorialism techniques allows her to transform everyday scenes into dreamlike compositions, merging reality with imagination.
Holding a doctorate in quantum physics, Mariana brings a meticulous, experimental approach to her creative process. Her scientific background informs her deep understanding of light and perception, leading her to experiment with long exposure, double exposure, and stop motion techniques. This fusion of science and art is especially prominent in series like Castle of Dreams and Liquid Impressions, where she invites viewers into thought-provoking realms where the tangible and ethereal coexist.
Her multicultural experiences have shaped a unique photographic perspective, as seen in projects such as Once Called Home, A Timeless Land in Motion, and Many Chinas. These works capture the essence of diverse cultures and metropolitan life, revealing hidden beauty in unexpected places. Whether through the raw spontaneity of street photography or the poetic softness of pictorialism, her images invite viewers to see the world through a lens that celebrates both reality and imagination.
Mariana's work has been exhibited internationally, including at:
Connessioni 2026, Rome, Italy
Jazz Frames 2026, Rome, Italy
Collettiva Fotografica Pigneto 2025, Rome, Italy
Liquid Impressions 2025, Solo exhibition in the meta verse
Interstícios 2025, Studio Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal Interstícios
Open Art Rome 2024, Art Number 23, Gallery Medina, Rome, Italy
Una Mostra da Paura 2024, Ariccia, Italy
Rome Art Expo 2024, MUSA, Italy
Collettiva Fotografica Pigneto 2024, Rome, Italy
Urban Exhibits: Photo Days Tour 2024, Trieste, Italy
Her project Caminho dos Gerais, a Travel to the Origins was a finalist at the Travel Awards 2025, recognizing her ability to capture the essence of place and time through a deeply personal yet universal lens.
Mariana's academic background includes a degree in Physics, a Master’s in Physics, and a Ph.D. in Quantum Physics. She has further refined her artistic skills through specialized courses, including Seeing Through Photographs (MoMA) and Michigan State University’s Photography Basics and Beyond Specialization.
Influenced by personal experiences and human connections, Mariana’s work continues to evolve as she experiments with techniques that bridge the gap between photography and painting. While her artistic journey began with street photography—still one of her strongest passions—her recent focus on pictorialist-inspired imagery allows her to craft scenes that feel timeless, immersive, and rich in atmosphere. Her work is a testament to the interplay between science and art, a visual exploration of light, emotion, and the unseen narratives that shape our world.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Photography, for me, is a bridge between reality and imagination, a space where fleeting moments are transformed into timeless narratives. My work explores memory, identity, and the emotions embedded in places, light, and textures. Through my lens, I seek to reveal the unseen, uncovering intimate stories hidden within the fabric of everyday life.
My artistic practice blends pictorialism with street photography, merging the spontaneity of urban life with the evocative aesthetics of painting. I am particularly drawn to techniques that challenge perception—long exposure, double exposure, and stop motion—allowing me to blur the boundaries between the tangible and the dreamlike. This interplay of techniques invites viewers to engage with my images emotionally, finding their own connections within the visual narratives I create.
I also shoot with film, embracing its tactile nature and the unique characteristics it brings to the creative process. The grain, texture, and depth of analog photography add another layer of meaning to my work, reinforcing the themes of memory and transience that I continuously explore. Film allows me to slow down, be intentional with every frame, and cultivate a deeper connection with my subjects and surroundings.
My background in quantum physics deeply informs my creative approach. Concepts such as the behavior of light, the fluidity of time, and the balance between order and chaos influence my photographic process. Each image becomes an experiment—a carefully crafted interplay of science and emotion, structure and serendipity. I am drawn to themes of transience: how memories fade, how identities shift, and how places hold echoes of those who have passed through them.
Having lived in different cultures—Brazil, Singapore, France, South Korea, and now Italy—my perspective is shaped by diverse influences. I am fascinated by the way people interact with their environments, how urban landscapes carry traces of history and personal stories. Projects like Once Called Home, A Timeless Land in Motion, and Many Chinas explore the intersections between culture and individual experience, capturing the nuances of belonging and displacement.
Ultimately, my photography is an invitation—to pause, to reflect, and to see the extraordinary within the ordinary. It is a visual dialogue between past and present, presence and absence, reality and imagination. Each image I create is a whisper of a story waiting to be heard, a fragment of time suspended in light and shadow.
Mariana Barros is a Brazilian fine art photographer in Rome. A former quantum physicist, she blends pictorialism and street photography into painterly art.