Photography Memory & Time with Jose Sarmento Matos

In this talk, documentary photographer José Sarmento Matos explores the relationship between social documentary, portraiture and street photography, reflecting on his visual aesthetic and how trust and personal connections shape the way he photographs people and places.

Over the past decade, José has developed long-term personal documentary projects focusing on social inequality, identity, migration and belonging. His approach is rooted in spending time within communities and immersing himself in subjects across different countries, building relationships and allowing stories to unfold naturally. His project JAMAIKA, documenting the lives of residents in a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Lisbon before its demolition, demonstrates how photography can preserve and document memory, as well as asking us to consider how photography can act and support social change.

Alongside his personal work, José has built an international career photographing editorial features, portraits and assignments for media such as Bloomberg, The Washington Post or The Wall Street Journal, as well as photographing film productions for HISTORY, Sky or HBO.

Drawing on these experiences, in this talk he will explore how long-term documentary projects, commissioned photography and street photography intersect, and how time shapes his visual approach. The talk will also reflect on how photography can preserve memory and document a changing world, giving images new meaning and significance as lasting records of people, places and moments that may no longer exist.

About Jose

José Sarmento Matos is a Portuguese documentary photographer based in London. His work spans long-term documentary projects, portraiture and street photography, bringing an intimate perspective to the people and places he photographs, with a strong emphasis on colour.

His clients include Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, HBO and HISTORY. In 2015, he was selected for Magnum Photos’ 30 Under 30. His project Where Do I Belong? Abandoning the Venezuelan Dream (2017-2020) received the main Portuguese Estação Imagem Award in 2020.

His long-term project JAMAIKA (2020–2024), documenting racial and housing inequality in Portugal, developed into a film, screened internationally, multiple exhibitions, including one at the MAAT museum, and a photo book, published in 2024. In 2026, a photograph from the project was selected for Personal Perspectives: 50 Photographs for 50 Years of Leica Galleries, at Leica Gallery Wetzlar, alongside work by some of photography’s most influential figures.

José holds a Master’s degree in Documentary Photography and Photojournalism from the London College of Communication (UAL), where he teaches as an associate lecturer. He also leads photography workshops with Leica.