Mara Palena’s work is intimate, reflective, yet modern. Strongly inspired by youth culture, fanzines, music, and film posters, her unique visual language thrives where images are often conceived into full artworks or layouts. Combining text and material into series, Mara is creating a new visual representation of ideas and messages with specific conceptual aims.

Starting as a first assistant for some of the most influential and renowned fashion stylists of the industry such as Oliver Rizzo and Mattias Karlsson, her aesthetic is highly influenced by this training. Deciding to use the photographic and film medium to express her creative vision, Mara digs into issues such as memory and identity, constantly experimenting with different techniques, mediums, and languages. 

Her films celebrate the collaboration between writers, poets, and actors exploring identity in our contemporary society. She creates an experience where she combines all her expertise in visual arts, fashion, and dance. 

You can find Mara in a former flowers factory in Milan, sometimes with her dog, often with her thoughts.