The Invitation—Artwork

Some works are planned. Others quietly find their way into the world.

Created following two months living alone in Italy — first in Florence, then in Assisi, The Invitation is a photographic diptych exploring hospitality, friendship and the quiet moments that shape life.

Presented as two images that read like the pages of an open book, the work pairs a single tortellino with a photograph of KT and the director of the Ginestrelle Artist Residency in Assisi, Marina Merli. The tortellino rests upon the weathered surface of a lichen-covered wall photographed during solitary evening walks in the hills above Florence. Opposite, a shared moment of laughter speaks to the enduring friendship that emerged during the residency.

The work began with an ordinary morning.

While sweeping the street outside the residency studio, KT was approached by a local woman who took her arm and invited her to join a pasta-making class at her family's nearby language school. “The sweeping can wait,” she said. “Come with me. It's starting now.”

Moments later, KT found herself learning to make tortellini alongside twenty strangers from around the world. Wondering if she could afford the class, the woman's daughter smiled, “You are our guest. My mother said you were kind.”

The tortellino became more than pasta. It became the trace of an invitation accepted.

Reflecting on her time in Italy, KT realised that many of the journey's most meaningful experiences arrived unexpectedly, quietly, and only because she was willing to say yes.

The original diptych remains a personal gift to Marina Merli.

An exclusive edition of ten archival giclée prints of The Tortellino has been created, allowing this invitation to continue its journey into other homes and other lives.

Perhaps you'll recognise one of your own invitations.