Art director and creative designer Elsa Allen describes Friendly Strangers, a selection of photos taken by herself, as “a story about humanity”.

These photographs depicts the human experience of a young solo photographer travelling the world, offering the visitors a journey through the looks and faces of the people who welcomed her in the most remote corners of this earth.

Allen says that the exhibition encompasses “the power to feel at home, even in the most remote corner of the world. It’s about people that welcomed me with a smile, a look, a gesture; strangers who shared a moment of their lives, that left me with an incredible memory, to remembered forever. And now, I can only dare to share my experience through these photos.”

Born in Italy in 1985, Allen studied art direction and communication in Milan and discovered her passion for photography while travelling at a young age.

She made her first solo trip to Japan when she was 23 and after years of exploring the world in bits and pieces, she recently made the trip of a lifetime, a six-month period of travelling from South East Asia to South America.  Travelling with little more than a backpack and her camera, she made her way through India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Ecuador and Peru. In the meantime, she collected unforgettable memories and impactful photos.

She is currently based in Malta and works as an art director.

Friendly Strangers officially opens at Logix: DAAA Haus gallery at the Centris Business Centre in Triq il-Palazz l-Aħmar, Mrieħel, at 7.30pm today. The exhibition will remain open until May 21, with the gallery’s doors opening from 9am until 6pm.