EPEX Photo Awards 2026

European Environment Photographer 2026

MATTEO STRASSERA / Italy

Matteo Strassera

As a landscape photographer, my work is driven by a deep fascination with the patterns, textures, and narratives that emerge when observing the Earth from above. Through aerial and abstract photography, I seek to reveal perspectives that are often invisible from the ground.

My photography takes me across the world, mostly into pristine and untouched environments. I believe these places are reminders of our role as temporary guests in a home shaped by Nature over millions of years. With that awareness comes an obligation: to respect, protect, and advocate for the fragile spaces that sustain us.

This commitment guided my project in the Riotinto area of southern Spain, where mining activity has left an irreversible mark on the land. At first glance, the vivid colors and intricate formations of the landscape possess an almost hypnotic beauty. Yet behind these abstract patterns lies a harsher truth: a river running nearly 100 kilometers, stained red by heavy metals, its waters so toxic that almost no life can survive.

Through this series, my intention is to draw viewers into that initial sense of wonder, only to reveal the tension beneath it, the coexistence of aesthetic allure and environmental devastation. By reframing a scarred landscape through the language of abstraction, I hope to spark reflection on our relationship with the planet and the consequences of neglecting the natural world we depend on.

Finally I want to thank EPEX Photo Awards and the LIK Akademie for allowing me to share this invitation to look closer, to question what beauty may conceal, and to reaffirm that the environments we admire are not ours to exploit, but ours to protect.