In ‘SKIN. And Under,’ Mattio’s lens descends, like Orpheus into the underworld, beneath the inked armor and studded leather, past the carefully constructed facades of masculinity. He finds not the expected steel of the warrior, but the trembling flesh of youth, exposed and luminous in the subterranean chambers of the heart. A recurring motif of hands, clasped or reaching, emphasizes a yearning for connection. The nudity is not a provocation, but a revelation, an offering of truth laid bare on the altar of the lens. Each portrait, like a palimpsest, reveals stories etched upon the smooth skin of adolescence—stories of struggle, vulnerability, and the search for identity.
Mattio’s photographs explore the complexities of gender identity, revealing the tension between societal expectations and the individual’s lived experience. Each portrait captures a unique journey of self-awareness, challenging the viewer to reconsider their own assumptions about masculinity. By presenting vulnerability as a source of strength, ‘SKIN. And Under’ contributes to a vital dialogue about the evolving understanding of gender roles in the 21st century.
Ultimately, ‘SKIN. And Under’ is more than just a collection of photographs; it is an invitation to explore the shadowed depths of the human spirit. It reminds us that even in the most hardened of shells, there exists the potential for softness, for beauty, for a love that transcends the boundaries of flesh and bone.
Printed to the highest standards, the book features finely crafted reproductions using a sophisticated 4/4 tone process (2 blacks + 2 Pantones) with full-background protective varnish on 170-gram matte coated paper. Each image commands attention with its depth and clarity, inviting the viewer into an intimate world where the subjects’ innermost emotions and identities are laid bare.
Jose and Sebastian Wedding Veil
Jose, Miguel, Julian, Ferney
Under the Kitchen Table
Bodies in the Pool 2
