About the project
In SKIN, and Under, Mattio’s lens descends beneath carefully constructed façades of masculinity. The work does not seek the expected hardness of the warrior, but the exposed, luminous fragility of youth. A recurring motif of hands—clasped, reaching, holding—reveals a quiet insistence on connection.
Nudity here is not provocation but revelation: an offering of truth laid bare. Each portrait functions as a palimpsest, where vulnerability, uncertainty, and desire surface through gesture, posture, and gaze.
The photographs explore the tension between societal expectations and lived experience, inviting the viewer to reconsider assumptions about masculinity, strength, and self-awareness. Vulnerability emerges not as weakness, but as a form of resistance—an alternative to performance.
Ultimately, SKIN, and Under is not simply a collection of images, but an invitation to dwell in the unresolved spaces of identity, where softness persists beneath hardened shells.
The book
The project is gathered in a carefully produced publication, printed to exacting standards using four-color UV printing on 150 gsm Fedrigoni matte paper. The reproductions preserve tonal depth and material presence, offering an intimate reading of the work in sequence.
Access to a set of protected galleries is reserved for those who acquire the book. These galleries document the project’s evolution, working process, and unpublished material.
The password is sent privately by email.
Enter the protected galleries
