Currently living in Boston, Matilde is a storyteller, educator, and the founder of Capture Humanity. Specializing in crafting ethical visual storytelling content for academic research and NGO's around the world. Matilde leverages the power of visual storytelling to inform, provoke discussions, and inspire action. She achieves this by public speaking and exhibiting her work in museums, galleries, and public spaces. Her work on human trafficking has been widely exhibited by varies UN agencies.
Matilde’s work has led to collaborations with many community-based organizations including Freedom for All, Voice of the Free Philippines, ChildVoice Uganda and HAART Kenya. In 2019, Matilde was awarded a UNICEF Picture of the Year and she also emerged the winner of the 2019 Social Cause International Photography Award from the Lucie Foundation. Beyond photography, Matilde is passionate about volunteering and traveling. When she doesn't have a camera in her hands, it's probably because she's planning her next journey.
SELECTED Photography HONORS + DISTINCTIONS
Bronze| PX3 PRIX de La Photographie Paris | The Truth about Albinism in Annual Report, 2020
Honorable Mention | PX3 PRIX de La Photographie Paris | Philippines: Children Living in Perpetual Invisibility in Press/FeaturePress/Feature Story, 2020
Honorable Mention | PX3 PRIX de La Photographie Paris | South Sudan’s Child Soldier in Portraiture/Other, 2020
Gold | Nature / Trees | Moscow International Foto Award | Dead Vlei Trees, 2020
Children's Portrait Winner l Black & White Magazine l Student in Medan, Indonesia: 2020
Silver, Editorial / Personality | Tokyo International Foto Awards | A Path Toward Healing: Human Trafficking, 2019
Honorable Mention | UNICEF Photo of the Year | Philippines: Girls as a Commodity: 2019
Honorable Mention | UNICEF Photo of the Year | Philippines: Girls as a Commodity: 2019
Silver | Social Cause | Lucie Foundation International Photography Award | Living with Albinism in Tanzania, 2019
“State of the World” Winner | LE PRIX DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE DE PARIS (PX3) | Maasai Custom: FGM, 2019
Silver | Advertising / Annual Reports | PX3 PRIX de La Photographie Paris | Maasai Custom: FGM, 2019
INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS | Wildlife, Male orangutan sits in a tree with soulful eyes, 2018
INTERNATIONAL COLOR AWARDS| People, Maasai Custom: FGM, 2018
GOLD | Social Cause | Lucie Foundation International Photography Award | Maasai Custom: FGM, 2018
Honorable Mention, Culture + Traditions | Lucie Foundation International Photography Award | Maasai Custom, 2018
Bronze | Book | Tokyo International Foto Awards | Faces Behind Atrocity, 2018
Bronze | People | Tokyo International Foto Awards| Growing up Female in Maasai Culture, 2018
Silver | Social Cause | Lucie Foundation International Photography Award| Faces Behind Atrocity, 2017
Honorable Mention | PX3 PRIX de La Photographie Paris| Faces Behind Atrocity, 2017
Portfolio Award | Black and White Magazine, 2017
Portfolio Award | Black and White Magazine, 2015.
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
COLLECTIONS
African Union | Collection | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Boston Children’s Hospital | International Gallery | Collection | Boston, MA
EXHIBITS
Atlas of Humanity | Galerie Joseph Le Marais Paris, 2020
Roma Fotografia Eventi | Rome, Italy, 2020
Best of Show Exhibition |Moscow Photo Center | Moscow, Russia, 2020
Faces Behind Atrocity: Story of Modern Day Slavery | Solo Exhibition | NB Art Museum | New Bedford, MA 2020-2021
TIFA Winners Exhibition | Shibuya Cultural Center, Owada Gallery | Tokyo, Japan, 2020
ForeMost l State of the World PX3 l Hotel Collective Naha l Okinawa, Japan, 2020
Travel Photography | Kontrast Gallery | Stockholm, Sweden
Best of Black & White | Laurent Gallery | Melbourne, Australia. 2020
Solo Single Subject | Espaco Espelho d'Ague Gallery | Lisbon, Portugal, 2020
Maine International Jetport Solo Exhibition | Portland, Maine 2019
State of the World PX3 | Leica | Taipei, Taiwan, 2019
Atlas of Humanity | Galerie Joseph Le Marais Paris, France, 2019
State of the World PX3 | Paris, 2019
Engine Gallery |Solo Exhibition |Biddeford, ME, 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
Re:Artiste | Group exhibition | New York City, 2018
TIFA Winner Exhibition| ICA Gallery | Tokyo, Japan, 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
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
Online and Print PUBLICATIONS
Hidden: Retratos de Escravatura dos tempos Modernos | Ana Marques Maia, P3 July 202
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,
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
Front 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