About Matan

Growing up in Israel, I found myself drawn to cameras since I was twelve. From Simple film to advanced DSLR cameras, I realized that documenting life was essential to my emotional development. My passion for the aesthetic visual came during and after practicing gymnastics for ten years, dancing ballet for two more, and seeing the world as a soldier for another eight. Through the different disciplines I realized that moments in my life were recorded visually and emotionally in my mind. Capturing moments as a photographer is important, but even more important is to make peace with your personal angle of doing so.

I graduated from Columbia University in May 2017, majoring in Philosophy and Linguistics. Although I never studied photography, I began selling my prints while I was a soldier. I’m mesmerized by the sun and the way its light impacts our planet.

XiMT stands for Cross Interpretation Matan Tzinamon, and it is my true belief that cultivating open mindedness and true appreciation of life can be achieved through photography: for any given event in life, there can and should be numerous interpretations. As we witness life mainly through our eyes, it is my main goal to touch the viewer’s soul as I work with light, texture, colors and shapes.

In Arabic and Hebrew, the word for eye is “ein” – in both cultures “ein” also means a spring, usually of water; but in this context - of the soul. The amount of visual information we welcome voluntarily or not into our emotional system is immense. To me, it is crucial that to the already existing visual memory, we add information that will enhance, sooth, sharpen and balance the way we travel in this reality.

Matan Tzinamon | XiMT Photographic Art ©