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Matilde Marie Photography Logo

Matilde Simas is an award-winning Azorean photographer, filmmaker, and Executive Director of Capture Humanity. She also serves as the Creative Art Director for the Limb Kind Foundation, where she combines her artistic vision and storytelling expertise to raise global awareness about the challenges faced by individuals with limb loss and the transformative power of access to prosthetic care. With a background in psychology and women’s studies from Suffolk University and advanced training in digital photography at the Rhode Island School of Design, Matilde brings a unique perspective to her work, guided by a trauma-informed approach that emphasizes documenting strength and dignity within vulnerable communities. 

Her landmark project, From Shadows to Light: A Global Journey Through the Aftermath of Trafficking, spans seven countries, exploring survivors’ journeys of healing, recovery, and reintegration, while her latest documentary, Woman Rising, highlights the strength of American survivors of trafficking. 

As a creative visionary, Matilde extends her influence beyond photography. At the Limb Kind Foundation, she plays a pivotal role in crafting compelling visual narratives and campaigns, fostering global awareness, and action.

Matilde’s impactful imagery has been prominently featured in influential platforms, including the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report and policy research publications in Kenya. Her work has been exhibited internationally, showcased by organizations such as UNICEF and United Nations agencies.

 

For inquiries, licensing requests, or to reach Matilde directly, please email her at ms@matildesimas.com or call 617-750-1182

 

SELECTED Photography HONORS + DISTINCTIONS
 
 
2024
 
PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris "State of the World Exhibition" | Woman Rising: Sex Trafficking in America | World Tour | Paris | London | Milan | Taipei | Athens | NYC | Istanbul | Tokyo | Moscow
 
 
PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART) | Gold
 
Critical Mass | Omo Valley Portraits | Top 200
 
2023
 
PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | Survivor: A Global Look at Human Trafficking | Silver
 
reFocus Awards | Omo Valley Portraits | HM
 
2022
 
19th Julia Margaret Cameron Worldwide Photo Gala Award | Omo Valley Portraits | HM 

IPA | Suri tribe from West Omo Valley, Ethiopia | 2nd People\ Traditions \Culture 

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | South Sudanese Refugee Mothers | State of the World Curator Selection 

UNICEF Photo of the Year | Bringing Mobility to Children with Limb Loss | HM 
 
Lucie Foundation International Photography Awards | Dead Vlei Trees | Jury Top 5 Selection
 
2021
 
PX3 STATE OF THE WORLD l Constant Fear of Death: Living with Albinism l  Official Curatorial Selection
 
Lucie Foundation International Photography Award 2020| Constant Fear of Death: Living with Albinism | Gold —Social Cause 
 
Budapest International Foto Awards Constant Fear of Death: Living with Albinism | Gold -People
 
Festival of Ethical Photography |Fleeing War: Stories of South Sudanese Refugees Nonprofit World Shortlist
 
2020

Festival of Ethical Photography | Let me be Brave: Stories of Limb Loss | Nonprofit World Shortlist

Tokyo International Foto Awards | Hidden from Society | Gold — people/children 

Tokyo International Foto Awards | Children with a Disability Hidden from Society |HM — editorial/ photo essay 

Tokyo International Foto Awards | The Forgotten | HM — people/portrait 

US Department of Justice | Represent Resilience: Learning from Yesterday, Building a Stronger Tomorrow Art Award 

Lucie Foundation International Photography Award 2020| In Shadow: Child Trafficking | Silver —Social Cause 

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | Philippines: Children Living in Perpetual Invisibility | State of the World Prize

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | The Truth about Albinism in Annual Report | Bronze

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris  Philippines: Children Living in Perpetual Invisibility in Press/FeaturePress/Feature Story

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | South Sudan’s Child Soldier | HM — Portraiture/Other

Moscow International Foto Award | Dead Vlei Trees | Gold —  Nature / Trees

Black & White Magazine l Student in Medan, Indonesia  |Children's Portrait Winner 

2019

Tokyo International Foto Awards | Human Trafficking Philippines | Silver  —Editorial Personality 

UNICEF Photo of the Year | Human Trafficking in the Philippines HM 

Lucie Foundation International Photo Award | Living with Albinism | Silver — Social Cause

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | FGM | State of the World Prize 

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | Maasai Custom: FGM |Siver — Annual Reports

2018

International Color Awards | Wildlife, Male orangutan

International Color Awards | People, Maasai Custom: FGM

Lucie Foundation International Photography Award | FGM | Gold —  Social Cause 

Lucie Foundation International Photography Award | Culture + Traditions | HM —FGM

Tokyo International Foto Awards | Faces Behind Atrocity | Bronze  —  Book 

Tokyo International Foto Awards | Maasai Custom: FGM | Bronze —  People

2017

Lucie Foundation International Photo Award | Faces Behind Atrocity | Silver — Social Cause

PX3 Prix de la Photographie de Paris | Faces Behind Atrocity | HM 

Black and White Magazine | Portfolio Award 

Black and White Magazine | Portfolio Award 

COLLECTIONS

Atlas of Humanity | South Sudanese Refugees in Uganda, Milan, Paris, South Africa

ARTWORKS for Freedom | Faces Behind Atrocity, Washington, DC

African Union | Collection | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Boston Children’s Hospital | International Gallery | Collection | Boston, MA


EXHIBITS 

 

IN TRANSIT: THE BODY AS CURRENCY | Kay Chernush Virtual Gallery | 30 July 2023 – 30 June 2024

Atlas of Humanity | Soho Photo Gallery, 15 White Street, NYC March 2023

Julie Margaret Cameron Exhibition | FotoNostrum Gallery, Barcelona April-May, 2023

OMO VALLEY PORTRAITS Solo Exhibition | Bridge Gallery, Cambridge, MA January 2023

ACTION | PHOTO IS:RAEL International Photography Festival, Tel-Aviv, Isreal Nov. 2022

Atlas of Humanity | Foro Buonaparte 67, MILANO, Oct. 7-30th 2022

The Portrait | Praxis Gallery, Minneapolis, MI July 16- 30th 2022

Atlas of Humanity | Galerie Joseph Le Marais Paris, May 2022

WORLD VIEW | Bridge Gallery, Cambridge, MA January 2022

UNICEF PHOTO OF THE YEAR | House of the Federal Press Conference, Berlin, Germany January 2022
 
UNICEF PHOTO OF THE YEAR | Willy Brandt House, Berlin, Germany February 2022

Represent Resilience: Learning from Yesterday, Building a Stronger Tomorrow gallery | Washington DC, 2020

Faces Behind Atrocity: Story of Modern Day Slavery | Solo Exhibition |NB Art Museum | New Bedford, MA November - January, 2020-2021
 
Maine International Jetport Solo Exhibition | Portland, Maine 2019

Atlas of Humanity | Galerie Joseph Le Marais Paris, France, 2019  

Engine Gallery |Solo Exhibition |Biddeford, ME, December- January 2019
 
Adams House Gallery | Solo Exhibition | Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 2019

SDN Bronx Documentary Center | Group Exhibition | NYC, 2018
 
MIT | Solo Exhibition | Cambridge, MA, 2018

University of New Hampshire | Solo Exhibition | Durham, NH, 2018

Kenya National Archives at UNODC | Solo exhibition | Nairobi, Kenya, 2017

Kenya National Archives at IOM | Solo exhibition | Nairobi, Kenya, 2017

Art to End Slavery at KOBO Trust | Group exhibition | Nairobi, Kenya, 2017
 
 
TALKS | Panel Discussions
 
 
Leica Talk on Human Trafficking | Social Documentary Network Festival | Boston
 
Guest for Good | Harvard University
 
Social Documentary Network | Boston
 
Photography Matters | Northampton Center for the Arts 
 
Human Trafficking in Kenya | Boston University 
 
Photography for Social Change | Dean College
 
"Taste of Freedom" a tool for social change | Mentari | NYC
 
 

BOOKS  

Taste of Freedom | Empowerment Culinary Arts for Survivors Cookbook, 2019

NEWS

ABC  WCVB 5 Matilde Simas is on a Global Mission

NBC NEWS 25 Kids with Limb Loss Shine in Inspiring Fashion Show 

Online and Print Publications

US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report | Introduction, Page 15, 33, 38, 43, 58, 65, 82 | June 2022 

METRO UK | Sold for sex and slavery: The girls and young woman learning to live after trafficking | Jan 2023

ZEKE| Documentary Magazine | September 2022

DOCU Magazine | An American Story of Human Trafficking | June 2022

US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report | Introduction, Page 7, 13, 32, 42, 2022 

Bringing Trafficking Survivors Out of the Shadows | Sarah Ferguson, UNICEF USA, March 5, 2021

Helping Trafficking Survivors Out Of The Shadows | Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, March 8, 2021

ARTWORKS for Freedom Artist Alliance | Kacie LeCompte Renfro, Artworks January 2021

Hidden: Retratos de Escravatura dos tempos Modernos | Ana Marques Maia, P3 July 2020

How to tell Ethical and Empowering Stories | Darshel Diaz, PWB Magazine July 2020

A look through the lens of a humanitarian photographer | Jessica Barrett, World Footprints July 202

Matilde Simas is Called to Listen to Survivors | Amanda Arnold, PPA Magazine June 2020

COVID-19: The Story of Women Refugees in Uganda | Livanya Gramoney, Reclamation Magazine | May 2020

Communities support Limb Lind Foundation at Show Your Shine adaptive runway show | Briana Bonfiglio, LI Herald, Oceanside | Jan. 2020

The American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association Almanac | Jan. 2020      

 Bringing Mobility to the Philippines | Jessica Barret, World Footprints Oct. 2019

 Saving a Species: Palm Oil, Orangutans | Jessica Barrett, World Footprints July 2019

 Bringing Atrocities out of the Shadows | Terry Date, The Eagle Tribune Jan. 3, 2019

 Bringing Atrocities out of the Shadows | Terry Date, The ANDOVERS Magazine, Winter 2019

 Roads to Recovery | Elena Stanciu, PETRIe Manifesto 2019

 Shedding Light on Human Trafficking | Jeannie Pearson, PWB Magazine | Jan. 2019

 Human Trafficking in Kenya: A nonprofit Takes Aim | Jessica Barrett, World Footprints October 17, 2018

Cover: Cape Cod Magazine Lighthouse Media Solutions, September 2018

 Down on the Farm | Lisa Cavanaugh, Cape Cod Magazine, 2018

 ‘Spotlight: Matilde Simas’ | Chisty Au-Yeung, PWB Magazine | April 2018 

 ‘UNMASKED’ | Amanda Arnold, Professional Photographer Magazine | September 2017  

 ‘A Day in The Life of an Anti-Poaching Ranger’ | Amy Baird, The Guardian | July 2017
 

FILM AWARDS 

Best Documentary Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards, 2018

Best Short Documentary Docs Without Borders Film Festival, 2018

Outstanding Excellence in Social Issues Docs Without Borders Film Festival, 2018

Official Selection, DC Web Festival, 2018 

Judge's Choice Award, Human Trafficking Film Festival, 2018

People's Choice Award, Human Trafficking Film Festival, 2018

Official Selection, Toronto Feedback Film Festival, 2018
 
Impact Docs Awards, Award of Excellence Special Mention, July 2018
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