Wrinkles and Delight (2024)

Wrinkles and Delight is a portrait series celebrating the lives of elderly individuals and celebrating their present, filled with vitality and purpose.

The project originated from Matalon’s initial interest in the memories of Holocaust survivors. She approached their stories with the utmost respect, recognizing how precious and fragile their testimonies might be. She spent countless hours in their homes, listening attentively and striving to capture the echoes of the past that emerged from their memories.

However, during the photography sessions, a surprising aspect surfaced. These individuals radiated joy, lightness, and a contagious enthusiasm for life. They welcomed the camera playfully, almost posing like models, sharing their hobbies, making funny faces, and wearing something special in each shot. Their vitality was overwhelming. Many even gifted the artist their creations: drawings, jewelry, hand-sewn aprons—expressions of a gentle and spontaneous energy that profoundly transformed the vision of the project.

Focusing solely on the past would have diminished the complexity and richness of these extraordinary people. Thus, While old age is undeniably a complex and melancholic phase of life, the photographer chose to focus on the intense uniqueness of these individuals—full of passions, emotions, and dreams—who deserve to have their vitality and authenticity celebrated.

With this awareness, the project expanded to include a broader range of people, integrating the challenges of aging with its beauty.
Wrinkles and Delight aims to challenge the stereotype of old age as mere decline, celebrating it as an essential phase of existence—an intense ode to life in all its forms and nuances.

© Bianca Matalon