By Emma Lee ’24

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Eleonora “Lele” Bonizzi’s journey in photography is about more than capturing images, it’s also about igniting conversations and inspiring social change.

Originally from Italy, Bonizzi came to the U.S. as a high school student to gain independence and improve their English skills. While moving to Utah was a massive cultural shift, they embraced their new life and found comfort in the familiar.

After high school, Bonizzi stayed in Utah to attend Brigham Young University as an economics major but eventually transferred to Utah State University to pursue their true passion — photography. And within that work, they’ve been impacting others by focusing on critical social issues like immigration and LGBTQ rights.

“My mom gave me a little digital camera when I was 9. I loved it. I would run around with it everywhere,” Bonizzi remembers. “My brother is a photographer, so when I was 12, he gave me a reflex camera and taught me how to use it in manual. And since then, I haven’t put it down.”

Through an accomplished series of photographic projects, Bonizzi has explored critical issues such as privilege, identity, and resilience, profoundly examining how we navigate these realities through visual art.

They have a range of remarkable achievements, each demonstrating a commitment to meaningful awareness and social impact.

As a 2024 Peak Fellow at USU, Bonizzi traveled to Porto Seguro, Brazil, to document the work of Mães Unidas, a non-governmental organization. Led by and composed exclusively of women, the organization supports single mothers by offering free training in sewing, providing an avenue for self-sustenance through the sale of crafted garments and upcycled clothing. They also offer free food and financial support to mothers who cannot participate in the training. 

“Throughout Brazil, where half of all mothers are single, women face profound challenges, including securing stable employment, accessing education and health care, and providing for their families,” Bonizzi says. “The prevalence of single motherhood is deeply connected to teenage pregnancy, poor education, domestic violence, and a lack of robust social support structures. Despite the critical need, these mothers often become invisible — ostracized by a society that shames them although they are a product of its very structure.”

For Bonizzi, a photography student in the Caine College of the Art’s Department of Art + Design, there has been no shortage of opportunities and success in their undergraduate career. Their work has been exhibited across Utah and the United States, as well as in Italy, Scotland, Switzerland, and Thailand.

This past summer, Bonizzi was one of 20 international artists to receive a $10,000 scholarship from WeTransfer’s Supporting Act Foundation Champions of Change, and in fall 2024 they were awarded the College Photographer of the Year Award of Excellence in the International Picture Story category.

Bonizzi attributes much of the success to their mentors, associate professor Fazilat Soukhakian, and assistant professor and photography area coordinator Jared Ragland. Bonizzi says the professors guide their students beyond just the technical aspects of photography.

“At USU Photo, we are guided in our belief in photography’s critical role in contemporary culture,” Ragland says. “Through the making, learning, and sharing of images, we encourage students to utilize photography as a tool for compassionate citizenship, meaningful storytelling, and impactful social change.”

Through their love for storytelling, Bonizzi has conducted extensive international work with various nonprofits. Before embarking on the 17-day journey to Brazil, Bonizzi weighed the ethical aspects of the trip with their mentors.

Fazilat expressed her admiration for the care and thought Bonizzi put into this project and the research they did beforehand.

“They’re incredibly mindful,” Fazilat says. “I truly believe they put in the effort to read, conduct thorough research, and, most importantly, connect with the people and the community.”

While in Porto Seguro, Bonizzi met with more than 20 single mothers and built meaningful connections by documenting day-to-day activities and conducting photo-elicitation interviews. According to Ragland, who has incorporated photo-elicitation interviews extensively in his own photographic work, the method “involves creating photographs with (not strictly of) participants and then engaging them in interviews and conversations about the images, eliciting responses that illuminate understanding and create more complex, nuanced visual stories.”

“PEI is a method that fosters a multi-faceted viewpoint collaboration, rather than me as a photographer engaging in voyeurism,” Bonizzi says. “I wanted more of a dialogue, so I engaged with each of the mothers and interviewed them and had conversations. Some of them even directed their own portraits or took photos themselves with disposable cameras.”

Bonizzi recounts how often they discussed the ethical side of documentary photography at USU, and how discussing it is different from the practice itself.

“It’s one thing to study it and another thing to actually be in the field,” Bonizzi emphasizes. “There is a big discourse about what is ethical. How do you approach sensitive subjects, especially if you’re particularly privileged? What kind of responsibility do you have? All these questions were echoing in my head while I was there.”

Gaining experience with this kind of ethical dilemma helped Bonizzi develop their own thought process and practices. Images from the project will be used on Mães Unidas’ website. Bonizzi also exhibited a selection of photographs in a solo exhibition at USU’s Projects Gallery in October.

“It’s a hard concept to put into words. But it’s better if you take the photograph rather than ruminating in your head about if you should or you shouldn’t. If I don’t take the picture, nobody else will,” Bonizzi says. “I am in a position of privilege, so I believe I should use it rather than keep questioning it and undermining my own work. I think the biggest service I can do is make good pictures and tell stories the best I can.”

Beyond the clarity they found with ethical issues in Brazil, Bonizzi also says they developed a solid understanding that this kind of work is what they want to continue doing.

“Through their course of study at USU Photo, Lele has displayed the traits that all teachers hope for from their students: thoughtfulness and teachability, adaptability and risk taking, diligence and hard work,” Ragland says. “But more than that, Lele has cultivated a radical empathy which drives them to sensitively tell the difficult stories, grapple with the difficult issues of our moment, and make a profound impact in the lives they touch through their pictures.”

After their graduation in December, Bonizzi plans to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in the Netherlands and continue their work on social issues with international non-governmental agencies.

“Art has been one of the first advocates for social change. From the very beginning, art has been used for that. It’s vital that artists are political in our work,” Bonizzi says. “I believe we should use it to make the world a better place.”