The photo essay Dante weaves visual stories through what I call “disembodied characters” — symbolically present in the emptiness of their own clothing, like ghosts of those who are no longer here.

Many of the photographs are inspired by a series of short stories and poems I wrote, signed by Dante, the lyrical self and protagonist of these narratives. Still, this visual work goes beyond literary production; it was conceived to have a life of its own — an experimental process that gave rise to new characters and images.

I see it as a series of “portraits,” created in social isolation using clothing that represents absent people — an appeal to life, to presence, and to the memory of those we love.

One of the central conceptual choices behind using garments as subjects — which transcends the health crisis of the pandemic — was to omit physical features, thus expanding the metaphor to include a broader, dreamlike range of individuals. Clothing proved to be a powerful vessel of memory, as it is deeply personal and, in many ways, tailored. Beyond memory, the essay frames clothing as a symbol, a signifier of bodies shaped by social relationships and actions (Weber, 1922), offering secondary yet complementary reflections on the absence of the photographed “model.” The compositional objects become personifications themselves, suggesting the psychosocial traits and individual dramas of each character — be it a long dress with a scarf, a blazer with formal shoes, or a Pierrot costume.

Rooted in the act of remembering a loved one — a gesture so relevant to today’s global and especially Brazilian context — Dante emerges as a reminder to the viewer of the impermanence of life.