Matías González / Mati Gonzs / MGz
Documentary Photographer & Filmmaker
Born in Santiago, Chile — 1993
I’m a documentary photographer and filmmaker working at the intersection of personal memory and collective truth. I picked up a camera at 22 while studying at Universidad del Pacífico in Chile, and from that moment, everything shifted. Soon after, I moved to Buenos Aires to continue my education at the Argentine School of Photography, deepening my connection to storytelling through images.
In 2014, I arrived in New York City and began collaborating with The Brenizers in Brooklyn. That experience opened a path that continues to shape my work today, moving between Latin America and the United States.
In 2021, I founded Squad Art Studio, a space dedicated to cinematic storytelling and documentary-driven imagery. Through this platform, I’ve led international projects, collaborating with and directing teams of authors across Chile, Argentina, and the United States.
My work is driven by emotion and human connection. Through both photography and film, I focus on what is real—unfiltered moments, quiet gestures, and the passing of time. I don’t construct stories; I witness them. My approach blends documentary sensitivity with a cinematic perspective, allowing each story to unfold with honesty and depth.
For me, this is more than a profession. It’s a way of observing, feeling, and preserving what truly matters.
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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
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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)
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Projects & Publishing
Founder of Sunflower Editions – Independent publishing platform for documentary photography projects.
Published Books:
"Be from the Block"
"Quilicurast"
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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
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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)
