José Sarmento Matos
London, Reino Unido
I am a Lisbon and London based documentary photographer. I focus my independent photography work on long / medium term projects. I am interested in analysing relevant contemporary world issues by focusing on people’s personal stories. I also focus my work on my street photography, documenting day-to-day life around me. Apart of that I am a contributor to The New York Times since 2017. Among others, my major clients include: Bloomberg, New Yorker, Le Monde and A+E Networks.
In 2014 I completed my MA in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism at London College of Communication. Where I taught photography for 4 years (2016-2019). Also in London, I started in 2013 my Documenting East London photography series, which was exhibited in Lisbon in March 2019, at Espaço das Mercês and published at The Lens Blog New York Times.
After my degree, in 2015, I was selected by Magnum Photos as one of the best 30 photographers under the age of 30 in the world, with my project ‘Turning The Page’.
In 2016, I photographed “How can I help You?” which is a story about the life of the faceless workers of Call Centres in India and in the Philippines, it was published in The New York Times, Wired, Newsweek, and in Süddeutsche Zeitung. At the same time I shot “Manila before Duterte” - a street photography - which is a project about how the city of Manila was before President Rodrigo Duterte was elected. This series was featured in the New Yorker.
Since 2017 I have been researching and documenting the Portuguese diaspora in Venezuela, and the reversed emigration phenomenon currently happening to Portugal: ´Where do I belong? abandoning the Venezuelan Dream´, is a story about a migrant family and their loss of belonging and identity.
I have been also tutoring workshops in the UK, with Leica, HUCK magazine and VANS. I am now starting new partnership with CANON Portugal to run workshops in Portugal.
2015 - 30 under 30 Magnum Photos.
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- Breaking news
- Conflict
- Crisis
- Editorial
- Environment
- Portrait
- Reporting