Matilde Gattoni
Matilde Gattoni is a French-Italian documentary photographer whose work explores the intersection of environmental and human rights issues around the globe. Since 2000, she has documented critical stories across four continents, including droughts, mass migrations, illegal mining, and land loss.
Her photography has appeared in over one hundred international media outlets, including TIME, The New York Times, and National Geographic. Known for her visual clarity and humanistic focus, she brings underreported stories to light with powerful and intimate imagery.
For over two decades, Matilde Gattoni has produced compelling visual narratives examining the socio-environmental challenges shaping our world. Her work reveals the human cost of climate change, land exploitation, and conflict, often focusing on Indigenous and marginalised communities most impacted by environmental degradation. From East Africa to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, her images delve into the lives of those navigating extreme vulnerability, displacement, and ecological loss — often caused by forces beyond their control.
In collaboration with journalist Matteo Fagotto, Matilde has spent the last nine years developing long-form documentary projects centring on the relationship between humanity and nature. Their stories spotlight Indigenous communities’ environmental knowledge and cultural resilience as they respond to the climate crisis through traditional practices and adaptation. Together, they craft narratives that are both deeply personal and globally significant.
Matilde’s visual language blends empathy with advocacy, creating imagery that informs, resonates, and compels. Her work has received numerous international honours, including the IPA, Px3, LensCulture, and San Francisco International Award. Through powerful storytelling and ethical practice, Matilde continues to push the boundaries of contemporary documentary photography.
Matilde Gattoni’s photography is rooted in the conviction that visual storytelling can influence change. By focusing on communities with marginalised voices, she brings attention to the environmental injustices affecting millions. Her projects uncover how climate change and economic pressures disrupt daily life — from forced migrations and refugee crises to the consequences of unregulated resource extraction.
Her current focus is exploring the untold contributions of Indigenous knowledge in climate mitigation. Her lens documents vulnerability and agency — capturing how ancestral wisdom, spiritual connection to the land, and collective practices serve as models for climate resilience. These themes emerge through immersive fieldwork and a commitment to long-term engagement with the people she photographs.
Matilde’s work has been shown at institutions, including the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles, Noorderlicht Gallery in the Netherlands, and Photoville in New York. She is widely respected for her ethical approach, which places collaboration and dignity at the heart of the photographic process. Whether addressing the effects of water scarcity, rising sea levels, or systemic displacement, Matilde’s photography bridges communities, raising awareness while calling for meaningful environmental action.
2002: Monograph ”Uzbekistan, 10 years after independence”, Tranchida Editore, Milano
