Leica Store & Gallery New York Presents "Within One Breath:" A Solo Exhibition by Matt Draper

A decade in the making, Draper's breathtaking black-and-white photographs reveal the silent beauty of marine life and celebrate Leica's enduring legacy of craftsmanship and innovation.

NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Leica Gallery New York is proud to present Within One Breath, a solo exhibition by artist and industrial designer Matt Draper. Opening on November 6, 2025, and on view through January 11, 2026, the exhibition showcases Draper's evocative underwater photography of marine life. This body of work is created entirely on a single breath while freediving under natural light, looking to preserve the sanctity of the underwater environment with minimal disturbance.

With his signature monochrome imagery, Draper captures the profound presence of marine life, revealing unique moments that capture rarely seen interactions between human and animal. His photographs evoke unseen emotion, movement, and indicate an intimate understanding of life beneath the water's surface. Draper works across the world's warm and temperate oceans — from the South Pacific and Australasia to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean — capturing marine life in the oceans off Tonga, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Indonesia.

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, a small, durable time capsule designed to preserve and carry humanity's cultural and artistic heritage to the Moon for future generations. Bow, featured in Within One Breath, has been included on the Memory Disc for three lunar missions since 2024, 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 and 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 and trusted relationship between the artist and Leica.

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 held in renowned private collections worldwide.

As part of the exhibition program, Leica Gallery will host an opening reception on November 6 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, inviting guests to experience 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.

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.

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 St., New York, NY 10014; 332-222-1690

About Leica Camera
Leica Camera AG is a global premium manufacturer of cameras, lenses, and sports optics products, with a company history spanning over 150 years. As part of its growth strategy, Leica has expanded into mobile imaging (smartphones), high-quality eyeglass lenses and watch manufacturing, and is also present in the home cinema segment with its own projectors.

Headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany, with a second production facility in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, Leica Camera AG operates a global network of sales subsidiaries and more than 120 Leica Stores.

The Leica brand represents excellent quality, German craftsmanship, and industrial design, seamlessly combined with innovative technology. An integral part of the brand's culture is its commitment to fostering photographic culture, exemplified by approximately 30 Leica Galleries worldwide, Leica Academies, and prestigious international awards such as the Leica Hall of Fame Award and the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA).

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.

Please find further information at:
Brunswick Group
Phone: (201) 995-0051
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.leica-camera.com

SOURCE Leica Camera USA