Adi Tudose - Pink Fish of Insomnia
Pink Fish of Insomnia is a long-term photographic project exploring the emotional terrain of disconnection, solitude, and the quiet search for belonging within the modern urban landscape. The series moves through a world of solitary figures—often seen behind glass or caught in moments of inward reflection—wandering city streets, suspended in time. The work does not merely depict external conditions, but invites viewers into a more intimate, internal space: one marked by the persistent hum of loneliness, the uncertainty of direction, and the deep human need to feel seen. Here, loneliness is not a passing feeling but a lingering emotional state—difficult to articulate, harder to admit, and wrapped in a quiet stigma. It becomes self-reinforcing, creating distance between people and gradually dulling our capacity for empathy.
Empathy and vulnerability are central to my creative process. Photography, for me, is not about capturing a decisive moment, but about entering someone else’s world with care and curiosity. It’s a slow, attentive practice—walking, waiting, noticing. Through this rhythm, I try to find moments of connection and trace the fragile emotional contours of human experience.
I choose to work in black and white—not out of nostalgia, but because colour often distorts the emotional texture of the world as I perceive it. Stripping away colour helps clarify and introduce a sense of stillness, contrasting with the visual and emotional chaos of contemporary urban life.
Over time, I’ve noticed recurring patterns in my images: shooting through windows, using reflections, and placing subtle barriers between myself and the subject. These layers mirror the emotional distance within the work—the tension between a desire for closeness and a need for protection.
For me, the act of looking is not about control or desire, but contemplation. It’s about inhabiting a moment with another person, even briefly, and recognising their presence without intrusion. This project asks what it means to witness others from a place of empathy, and how seeing—when done with care—can foster understanding rather than distance. In an age of growing disconnection, Pink Fish of Insomnia seeks to make visible the emotional undercurrents of everyday life and to create space for the quiet, vulnerable connections we so often overlook.