Matt Draper: Within One Breath - Artist Walk-Through & Champagne Toast

Leica Gallery New York invites guests to a singular experience of Matt Draper's Within One Breath. At the close of the exhibition, on January 8 at 6:30 PM, the gallery will present an intimate artist walk-through and champagne toast. Guests will join Matt Draper and Leica Gallery Director Michael Foley for a guided tour through the exhibition, gaining insight into the process, storytelling, and selection of the works on view.

Within One Breath showcases Draper’s evocative underwater photography. A body of work created entirely on a single breath while freediving under natural light.

With his signature monochrome imagery, Draper captures the profound presence of marine life, revealing moments that transcend the boundary between human and animal. His photographs merge realms, evoking emotion, movement, and an intimate understanding of life beneath the surface.

Over the past decade, Draper has spent nearly one thousand days documenting the annual migration of humpback whales in the Pacific Islands, capturing rare and previously unrecorded behaviors. Among his most notable works, Bow was selected as the only photograph included on the UNESCO Memory Disc, confirmed for three lunar missions, preserving humanity’s artistic legacy alongside The Mona Lisa, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, and Le Petit Prince.

“Matt Draper’s work reflects the essence of what Leica stands for, a deep commitment to craft, patience, and the pursuit of the perfect moment,” said Mike Giannattasio, President of Leica Camera US. “Through his lens, we are reminded that true artistry often lies in restraint in seeing the world with clarity, purpose, and respect for its beauty. Within One Breath is a powerful testament to that vision.”

A long-time Leica photographer, Draper has devoted much of his career to uniting the precision of the Leica rangefinder with his underwater practice. This pursuit led to the founding of SUB13, an industrial design company that engineers underwater housings for Leica cameras functional art pieces that embody the brand’s enduring philosophy of craftsmanship and design excellence.

To commemorate this collaboration, Draper and SUB13 have created a one-of-a-kind underwater housing for a Leica camera, which will be unveiled during the exhibition’s opening reception. The piece will be gifted to the permanent collection of the Leica Store & Gallery New York Meatpacking, symbolizing the enduring relationship between artist, craft, and innovation.

Within One Breath marks more than a decade of Draper’s creative evolution, a meditation on patience, connection, and the pursuit of mastery through restraint. Each Matt Draper fine art print belongs to a limited signature series, with most editions sold prior to public exhibition and held in renowned private collections worldwide.

These programs reflect Leica’s ongoing dedication to celebrating the art of visual storytelling and connecting exceptional photographers with audiences and collectors around the world.

About the Artist

Matt Draper (b. 1985, Aotearoa New Zealand) is an artist and industrial designer whose practice unites fine art photography with the discipline of design. His underwater works, captured on a single breath, explore the relationship between humans and nature — dissolving boundaries and revealing unseen aspects of life beneath the surface. Draper’s images are part of major private collections worldwide, and his photograph Bow is permanently archived on the UNESCO Memory Disc for lunar preservation. He is the founder of SUB13, a design company dedicated to creating precision underwater housings for Leica cameras.

Exhibit Dates

November 6 – January 11, 2026

Opening Reception

Thursday November 6th, 6 - 8 pm

Artist Walk Through & Champagne Toast

Thursday, January 8th, 6:30 PM

Exhibition Hours

Leica Gallery New York is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM.

Leica Store and Gallery Meatpacking District NYC

406 W 13th Street | New York, NY 10014

We look forward to seeing you there!