Between Parental Expectations and Self-Identity: Portraits of Cosplayers

Photographer Niccolò Rastrelli's project 'They Don't Look Like Me' places cosplayers and their parents within the same frame. In everyday domestic settings such as kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms, fully transformed children sit alongside their parents dressed in ordinary clothes, creating a striking visual contrast. This series transcends simple family portraits, posing profound questions about generational perception gaps and identity.

Rastrelli drew inspiration from 1970s photographs of rockstars with their families. At that time, society viewed rock music as a symbol of rebellion and deviance, and parents struggled to understand their children's choices. Today's cosplay culture faces similar scrutiny. Armed with elaborate costumes, wigs, and props, cosplayers boldly express their chosen identities, yet still confront social prejudice.

What these photographs capture is not merely generational difference. They reveal the gap between the 'normalcy' society expects of us and the identities individuals choose for themselves. The parents' gazes, the children's expressions, and the subtle tension between them illustrate the distance of their respective worlds. Yet simultaneously, the very fact that they occupy the same space suggests the possibility of understanding and acceptance.

Rastrelli's lens asks: Are you who you chose to be? This question applies not only to cosplayers but to everyone. How much do we live according to our own will, and how free can we be from others' expectations? 'They Don't Look Like Me' serves as a visual essay on identity, family, and self-determination, extending a courageous question to us all.