Matías González / Mati Gonzs / MGz

Born in Santiago, Chile — 1993

I am a Wedding Filmmaker and Documentary Photographer devoted to the art of preserving human stories with honesty and intention,

My relationship with the camera began in Chile while studying at Universidad del Pacífico. What started as a curiosity quickly became a lifelong pursuit of understanding people, memory, and the quiet moments that often carry the greatest meaning. I later moved to Buenos Aires to continue my studies at the Argentine School of Photography, where I further developed my approach to documentary storytelling.

In 2014, I arrived in New York City and began collaborating with The Brenizers in Brooklyn. That experience became an important chapter in my visual education and opened the door to a career shaped by movement between Latin America and the United States.

In 2021, I founded Squad Art Studio, a creative space built around cinematic storytelling and documentary imagery. Since then, I have led international projects and directed teams of photographers and filmmakers across Chile, Argentina, and the United States.

I am drawn to what cannot be staged: a glance across a room, a hand held a little longer, the laughter between sentences, the silence before something important happens. Rather than constructing moments, I observe them carefully and allow each story to reveal itself.

My approach is unobtrusive, intentional, and deeply human. I believe the most meaningful photographs and films are not necessarily the most perfect ones, but the ones that allow you to return to a moment and feel it again.

I don't direct your story. I witness it.

For me, this work is ultimately about more than photographs or films. It is about memory — and the privilege of preserving the moments that become part of who we are.

  • 2025

    • Narrative Workshop with Francisco Montoro – Buenos Aires, Argentina (April 2025)

    2018

    • TURMA Grant Program – Buenos Aires, Argentina

    2017

    • Portfolio Review at ERRANTE International Photography Festival (Sponsored by National Geographic) – Montevideo, Uruguay

    • Workshop with Alejandro Cartagena at FOTOLEGAL (FOLA) – Buenos Aires, Argentina

    2016

    • Encuentro Fotográfico México – Cholula, Puebla, México

    • Mirar Distinto Documentary Photo Fest – Xalapa, México

    2015

    • Latino Foto Festival – Chile

    • Workshop with Cristóbal Olivares + Mud Magazine & Tetrapunk

    • Workshop with Ed Kashi at FotoArica – Arica, Chile (CNCA Beca recipient)

    • Workshop with Raúl Goycoolea at FEFS (Festival de Fotografía de Santa Fe)

    • Foro de Fotógrafos (FDF) – Córdoba, Argentina

    2014

    • Latino Foto Festival – Chile

    • Workshop with Natalia Roca – Chile

    • Workshop with Ryan Brenizer – Chile

    2013 & Prior

    • Escuela Argentina de Fotografía (EAF) – Argentina

    • Workshop with Nórdica Photography – Chile

    • Workshop with Andrés Medina & Kyle Hepp – Chile

    • Photography Studies – Universidad del Pacífico, Chile

    • Audiovisual Communication – ARCOS, Chile

    • Graphic Design – UNIACC, Chile

  • 2025

    • Foro de Fotógrafos (FDF) – Mar del Plata, Argentina

    • PhotoJourney – Buenos Aires, Argentina

    2016 - 2019

    • Foro de Fotografos Cordoba, Argentina.

    • Magia Photography Congress, Concepción, Chile.

    • Latino Foto Festival . Santiago, Chile.

    • Mirar Distinto Documentary Photo Fest – Xalapa, México

    2015

    • "Frontera" – Group exhibition at FotoArica Festival, Chile (Workshop led by Ed Kashi)

  • Projects & Publishing

    • Founder of Sunflower Editions – Independent publishing platform for documentary photography projects.

    • Published Books:

      • "Be from the Block"

      • "Quilicurast"

    • 2018 – TURMA Grant Program, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    • 2017 – Selected for FIFV (Festival Internacional de Fotografía de Valparaíso), Chile

    • 2017 – Portfolio Review at Alexia Foundation (Photoville) with Ed Kashi – New York, USA

    • 2015 – CNCA FotoArica Grant, Chile

    • 2015 – Nominee, Rodrigo Rojas Denegri Award (Chilean photography distinction) del elemento

  • 2018

    • Instagram Takeover – Open Society Foundation (May 2018, USA)

    • Instagram Takeover – Blink Photography (March 2018, USA)

    2017

    • "PART I: National Hispanic Month" – Featured in Visura (USA)

    • "Nadie Busca lo que no Conoce" – Interview in Joia Magazine (Chile)

    • "Autores Noviembre" – Bex Magazine (Argentina)

    • "Quilicurast" – Fuji X Passion Magazine (Fujifilm, USA)

    • "Quilicurast – Edición Diciembre" – Revista Pecado (Argentina)

    • "Photo of the Day: Best of October" – National Geographic (USA)

    2016 & Earlier

    • MGz. – Universidad del Pacífico (Chile)

    • "Quilicurast V1." – Fotogramas Galería (Chile)