‘What is in your hand’ : HUNTER MATHEWS
-a Connecting Project-
This project is dedicated to forging a community rooted in our individual stories and the unique gifts we hold in our hands. We are beginning this journey with six individuals, with the hope that these connections will grow to form a truly creative and genuine community: H+
STORY OF
HUNTER MATHEWS
Story by Hanna Yoo
Cinematography by Marlo Irani
Photography by Tessa Belle Dillman
AD - Aneli Garrido
PA - Asia Smudde Tom, Ella Belle Warner
Thinking of HUNTER
A girl with a shy yet playful smile opened the door and walked in. Meeting Hunter for the first time reminded me of my own twenty-year-old self, and my heart fluttered just thinking about this beautiful chapter of her twenties she is currently living.
The very first thing that caught my eye were the tattoos on her hands—etchings of her name and passing moments of her life. I couldn't help but wonder what kinds of memories were held within them. Listening to her talk about permanently inking a photograph she took in her teens onto her skin, and how she isn't afraid to bear someone else’s unfinished story on her own body, made me even more curious about the path she will forge as a photographer.
I truly love her photographs. They make the simple fact of being alive feel so profoundly beautiful. Looking at her work, which preserves fleeting moments as records of memory, I realized that it closely resembles the very stories I want to create and share.
Though our meeting was brief, it was incredibly precious to me. I just want to express my deepest gratitude to her for sharing her story with us through this project.
-Hanna Yoo
Cinematography by Marlo Irani
Conversation with HUNTER :
Question.
PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF — WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU DO, AND WHAT CURRENTLY INSPIRES OR DRIVES YOU.
Hunter: I’m Hunter Mathews, I’m a photographer based in New York, and originally from Los Angeles.
My work focuses on intimacy and the quiet emotional spaces between people—moments that often pass quickly but carry a lot of meaning. What drives me right now is documenting real connections and preserving those fleeting experiences of closeness, especially during this formative period of young adulthood.
Question.
WHAT DOES “PHOTOGRAPHY” MEAN TO YOU? — WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE FROM WHAT YOU CREATE, AND WHERE IS YOUR PASSION IN IT?
Hunter: For me, photography is about paying attention to the small moments that make up our lives. I’m drawn to quiet interactions between people, the details and rhythms of everyday life, and the emotional weight that ordinary moments can carry. My work is really about connection and memory — noticing things that might otherwise pass by and giving them a kind of permanence.
The message, if there is one, is that these subtle human moments matter more than we often realize.
Question.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CONNECTION WITH HANNA?
Hunter: I feel a real connection with Hanna because we share many of the same sensibilities, especially around craft and human connection. The care she puts into what she makes feels very intentional and personal. Wearing her work feels less like putting on clothing or accessories and more like carrying that sense of thoughtfulness and connection with you.
Question.
WHAT DO YOU CARRY IN YOUR HAND NOW?
Hunter: Right now, I carry a kind of restlessness; a curiosity that keeps pushing me to notice things and understand the moments unfolding around me, and doing something about them.
To explore more of Hunter Mathews’s work and connect with her, please visit www.huntkats.com