Matthew Thorne was born in 1993 in Adelaide, South Australia. His work combines constructed narrative and observational documentary, often drawing from the landscape of Australia, its people, and their stories.

Matthew currently lives and works between Athens, Berlin, and Australia.

--

Recent work includes Marungka Tjalatjunu (2022) created with Yankunytjatjara artist Derik Lynch. The film received the Silver Bear Jury Prize short film and Teddy Queer Film Award at the 73rd Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival).

The Sand That Ate The Sea (2020) a short film about the remote Opal mining town of Andamooka.

GAIB (2019) a short documentary essay film about spirituality and death, made with the community of Batu Karas, West Java.

Other works include photography for Danny and Michael Philippou's Talk To Me (2022), Nick Cave and the Badseed’s album Ghosteen (2019), photography on Justin Kurzel’s film True History of The Kelly Gang (2019), photography and additional direction on Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant (2017), and title sequence direction for Glendyn Ivin's Gallipoli (2015).

Matthew has published two books; Jingo was born in the slum (2021) and For My Father (2018). His photos also accompany the Spanish language translation of Kenneth Cook’s iconic Australian novel Wake In Fright (2021) by Sajalín editores.

--

Matthew’s work has been exhibited and/or is in collection at the Canberra Museum and Gallery alongside their Sidney Nolan collection (2022), National Portrait Gallery of Australia (2021), National Portrait Gallery London (2020), National Museum of Australia (2020), Art Gallery of South Australia (2020), Perth Centre for Photography (2019), Australian National Library (2019), and the Melbourne Centre for Contemporary Photography (2019/20/21/22).

His work has been selected for the Berlin International Film Festival / Berlinale (2023), Adelaide Film Festival & Samstag Gallery of Art Commission (2022), Australian Directors Guild Awards (2021), Australian National Portrait Prize (2021), Perth International Film Festival (2020), and the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize, UK (2020).