The maturità (maturity) exams are something of a rite of passage here in Italy, an experience shared (and dreaded) by every student in the country, drawing a line under their high-school education and marking a transition into adulthood. I was allowed to make these portraits of students on their last day at school in the moments just before entering the exam room for the final, high-pressure oral exam. My thanks to everyone at the Rudolf Steiner school in Zoppè (Treviso) for opening the doors to me.

 

I'd like to continue the project in other schools to build a wider portrait of this generation of young Italians. So far no state school has given me permission to make portraits during exam day, but I will keep trying.