"Non voglio essere solo un operaio. La realtà operaia mi chiude": linguaggi visivi e creatività della classe operaia tra pittura, fotografia e fumetto

The contribution investigates the pedagogical value of artistic expressions (painting, collage, comics, photography) within the Italian working class from the 1970s to the present. Through the analysis of testimonies and exemplary cases—ranging from ordinary individuals to figures who have achieved formal recognition—the article demonstrates how creativity takes shape as a practice of self-education and meaning-making: limitations of time and resources do not function merely as obstacles, but become genuine stimuli for experimentation and expressive autonomy. Within the framework of adult education, these aesthetic practices emerge as forms of non-formal education and as powerful devices of subjectivation, empowerment, and social emancipation.