A Sicilian native, photographer Giuseppe Leone knows his land and his people. That's what makes the exhibition of his photographs of Sicily so interesting. "Sicily -- Baroque Imagery and Religious Celebrations" opens to the public Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Ave., and runs through the end of the month.

The exhibition, curated by Giovanna Pennacchi and organized by Acta International Gallery and the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, is sponsored by the Italian Consulate General in Chicago.

Leone, who has collaborated with the great literary and journalistic voices of Sicily, including Leonardo Sciascia and Gesualdo Bufalino -- was born in Ragusa and he continues to live and work in the city on the southern edge of the island.

Thanks to his narrative photography that digs deep into the heart and soul of the island -- according to the exhibition's brochure -- Leone has been called "Sicily's storytell; narrator of its monuments, festivals, customs -- in short, of Sicilian life. He is a kind of enchanted wanderer, perhaps the last to grace our island."

Eighty of Leone's photographs tracing the religious life of Sicily can be seen at the ICC from 9 a.m. through 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Consul General Alessandro Motta launches the show at a special invitation-only reception at 6:30 p.m. on the eve of the opening of the show.