Born in August 1994, he began photographing at the age of 17, driven by the fear of forgetting his own life. He started by capturing moments of teenage life—first cigarettes, first loves—of the boys and girls in his hometown. His nostalgic images, widely shared on social media, resonate with adolescents all over the world. This early success allowed him to travel and broaden his photographic horizons. In every place he visits, he captures youth—young people from different countries, yet connected by the same universal emotions and experiences. His photos are known for their rosy tones and dreamy atmospheres, telling stories of love, diversity, youth, and nostalgia. Alongside photography, he also produces videos, filming scenes of everyday life between shots. He currently lives in his hometown, Palermo, where he bought an apartment and covered its walls with murals and naïve-style paintings of his own creation—depicting the same friends featured in his countless photographs. Paolo Raeli’s work has been exhibited in cities such as Palermo, Rome, Los Angeles, and Seoul.