Luca Ortis is a London-based visual artist specializing in experimental photography. With a background in traditional Japanese tattooing and a degree in Anthropology, Ortis’ practice is deeply informed by his extensive engagement with Japanese folklore and visual culture. This unique combination of influences shapes his creative exploration of photography as a medium to honor and connect with nature, rather than merely document it.

Ortis’ work draws on the principles of Pictorialism and Chinese landscape painting, emphasizing atmosphere, texture, and process. He utilizes handmade papers, botanical toners, and alternative darkroom techniques to create tactile, imperfect artifacts. Each print is a reflection of the delicate interplay between image and material, serving as a totem that symbolizes Ortis’ personal relationship with the natural world. Through his work, he seeks to capture the intimate connection between the artist and the environment, evoking a sense of presence and reverence.

His ongoing series include Half Remembered, Half Imagined, which explores the experience of confronting the powerful forces of nature, and Shodo, which delves into the abstract language of Asian calligraphy and its resonance with natural forms. These works serve as a visual meditation on memory, imagination, and the profound influence of nature on both personal and cultural identity.

In 2024, Ortis exhibited his work at Symbiosis 2 with the London Alternative Photography Collective at Four Corners Gallery in Bethnal Green, as well as at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair at Woolwich Arsenal.

Exhibitions

2025

BBA Photography Prize 2025 Exhibition, BBA Gallery, Kühlhaus Berlin, Germany

2024

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Woolwich Arsenal, London, UK

Symbiosis 2 - London Alternative Photography Collective, Four Corners Gallery, London, UK

Publications

2025

The Meditative Lens, ArtDoc Magazine, Issue 2, 2025

Awards

1st Prize - BBA Photography Prize 2025, Berlin, Germany