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Introducing the new exhibition by artist-teacher Dianne Minnicucci, exploring self-discovery and collaboration through portraiture
The new exhibition Dianne Minnicucci: Belonging and Beyond presents a new body of work which explores how vulnerability and discomfort in front of the camera can become acts of self-discovery and collaboration. Here we introduce the exhibition and answer four quick questions that are key to the show.
Belonging and Beyond is on display and free to visit at Autograph until 13 September 2025.
Dianne Minnicucci was born in Darlington, UK in 1977. She is a London-based visual artist and the Head of Photography at Thomas Tallis School in South East London. Her photographic practice explores the boundaries of documentary storytelling, presenting autobiographical work full of intimacy.
Her experimental approach with the camera was informed by her time studying fine art, film and video at Central St Martins, and it’s something she fosters in her own students. Dianne explains: "I like to encourage the students I teach to also experiment, to push the boundaries and make mistakes, to see what happens and play around."
Find out more about Dianne’s practice as an artist and a teacher in this interview.
The exhibition features a new series of black-and-white photographic works set in the ancient woodland of Abbey Wood, including self-portraits and images of Dianne’s son.
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Dianne’s role as a secondary school photography teacher is central to the exhibition. Ahead of the show, Autograph invited Dianne to complete a six-month residency in her own classroom, which highlighted the intertwined nature of teaching and the act of making photographs. By supporting Dianne to merge her artistic and teaching practices, the studio and classroom were redefined.
In her own words: "I see them not just as my students, but as collaborators. Bringing my photographic practice into the classroom created a dynamic space where we could share and grow together as makers, exchanging ideas through open and honest conversation."
You can hear more from Dianne and her students in this film produced for the exhibition.
Self-Portraiture and Vulnerability
While more comfortable with taking images of other people, Dianne came out from behind the camera to explore the self-portrait: “I love taking portraits of other people - it's the way that I connect, but I've always found it hard to photograph and connect with myself. Taking self-portraits has been a journey of discovery. I've learned a lot about myself and I want to learn more.”
In creating the new body of work on display in the exhibition, Dianne embraced the vulnerability of being in front of the camera and explores the questions: what does it mean to be unguarded? What do we reveal of ourselves to each other? What do we chose to conceal?
17 Apr - 13 Sep 2025
A new exhibition contemplating class, cultural identity and belonging through the photographic portrait
Banner image: Dianne Minnicucci, from the series Belonging and Beyond [detail], 2025. © and courtesy the artist.
Images on pages: 1) Courtesy Dianne Minnicucci. 2-5) Dianne Minnicucci, from the series Belonging and Beyond, 2025. © and courtesy the artist. 6) Dianne Minnicucci, from the series Belonging and Beyond [detail], 2025. © and courtesy the artist. 7) Eileen Perrier, from the series Ghana [detail], 1995-96. © and courtesy the artist.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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