How would you introduce yourself?

I’m Martina Matencio, a photographer, sensitive and deeply observant.

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What inspires you when creating?

I used to say that pain was my greatest source of inspiration, but over time I realized that what truly inspires me is life in all its forms —both the good and the bad. I’m fascinated by finding beauty wherever I go, seeing the world through my own eyes, and slowly building my path with every photograph, as if each image were part of a map.

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What is your creative process like?

My creative process is usually very organic. Sometimes I find inspiration in a book or a film, but when it comes to the actual shoot, I normally let myself go with the flow. Ideas come to me naturally. I’m deeply inspired by light, by people, by spaces, and by what I’m genuinely feeling in that moment. To me, a photograph is a mirror, “a place where we can look at ourselves without being seen.” Sometimes the process is more thoughtful or carefully planned, but I tend to work best when I allow things to unfold naturally, and I think that’s where the sense of authenticity in my photographs comes from.

How has motherhood transformed you, both personally and artistically?

Honestly, I feel like I’m still trying to understand motherhood, trying to grasp everything it means to be a mother forever and to have brought a life into the world. Sometimes I look at Macarena and I still can’t quite believe it.

It’s such a profound transformation that I still need time to fully process it. My gaze is now inevitably focused on Macarena — on her tiny feet, her enormous eyes… But I’m still discovering exactly how motherhood has transformed me. What I do know is that it has already changed me forever. At the same time, I still feel like the Martina I was before, just with something new added to who I am.

Since becoming a mother, how has the way you observe the world—and yourself—changed?

Since becoming a mother, everything feels much more delicate. I feel a deeper awareness of life’s fragility, of time, and of how quickly everything passes. I don’t know if that makes sense…

Now I’m more afraid of dying, perhaps because for the first time I feel, in a completely different way, how important it is to be here. It’s a strange feeling, and yet it also fills me with life. Motherhood has made me understand even more clearly that life really is the blink of an eye.

What has your body taught you through motherhood?
It has taught me to love myself, and to feel strong and powerful.

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Is there something about motherhood that you can’t express with words, but can express through your work?
For now, no. In fact, since having Macarena, I’ve been writing much more.

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If motherhood were an image, what would we see?
Right now, it would be this: