Kim Tonelli

Growing up between Melbourne and Tuscany, I was surrounded by creativity and passion. My Italian mother, a housewife with Hollywood dreams, would stay up late watching gangster movies, while my father compulsively captured our lives on his Super 8 camera. I even attended a 13th-century Tuscan school, where—strangely enough—I had the same teacher as my parents.

In 1980, I discovered Paul Weller and The Jam, sparking a full-blown obsession with 1960s Mod culture. I wore only black and white, which earned me the nickname “Two Tone Tonelli.” My love for British pop culture became all-consuming.

By 1989, I had followed that passion to London, where I built a dynamic photography career that spanned nearly a decade. My work took me to more than 80 cities worldwide and gave me the chance to capture legends such as Pavarotti, Schumacher, Bono, and Oasis. My photographs have appeared in every major music publication and record company in both England and Australia.

At heart, I’m a people person—I love connecting, and drawing out people’s unique character, honesty, and quirks.

During the 2020 pandemic, I turned my lens towards personal projects. I photographed my eccentric Italian mother, and the portrait was selected as a finalist for the National Portrait Gallery’s Living Memory exhibition. Another project, capturing my “proxy aunt” in her distinctive environment, received an Honourable Mention at the International Photography Awards (IPA).

These experiences ignited a deeper passion for storytelling and conceptual photography. Recent travels to Cuba and Hanoi have renewed my love for personal projects, idea development, and narrative-driven work. This shift has redefined my trajectory as a photographer. I continue to seek out inspiring experiences, meaningful connections, and captivating stories to share through my lens.