Collaborative Photographic Exhibition Explores Eating Disorders

Weight of It All by Heather and Ben Mattera Offers Intimate Look at Family's Struggle

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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CENTER, a nonprofit photography organization in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is presenting the collaborative photographic project "Weight of It All" by Heather Mattera and her son Ben Mattera. The exhibition, which runs through March 13, 2026, traces the family's emotional journey as they navigate Ben's eating disorder, body dysmorphia, and the fragile hope of recovery.

Why it matters

Eating disorders remain widely misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed, with only about 6% of those affected being clinically underweight. Men are often overlooked entirely, and eating disorders are among the deadliest of mental health illnesses. "Weight of It All" offers an intimate view into the experience, expanding the cultural narrative and inviting empathy.

The details

The project began unintentionally, with Heather photographing the foods her son once loved but no longer allowed himself to eat. These still lifes became a wordless language when conversation collapsed. As the illness deepened, Heather invited Ben into the frame, transforming photography into a shared act of presence and a bridge built from vulnerability. The work captures the fraught reality of a parent witnessing a child's withdrawal, including rigid rituals, constant vigilance, and the paralyzing fear of any misstep.

  • The exhibition will be on view at CENTER through March 13, 2026.
  • The project began several years ago as Heather started photographing the foods her son no longer ate.

The players

Heather Mattera

A trained clinical therapist and internationally award-winning photographer who has spent much of her life helping marginalized individuals feel seen, heard, and understood through her photographic work.

Ben Mattera

Heather's son, who collaborated with her on the "Weight of It All" project as a way to give voice to his experience with an eating disorder.

CENTER

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit photography organization based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, that supports socially and environmentally engaged lens-based projects through education, public platforms, funding, and partnerships.

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What they’re saying

“It gave me more power over myself and over those, I don't want to call them urges — maybe 'gremlins.' It's something I can always reflect on and think of the power I had to do this project. I feel it gives me strength.”

— Ben Mattera (Lenscratch)

“It made me feel like I have the final say in what I do and how I feel.”

— Ben Mattera (Lenscratch)

What’s next

The exhibition "Weight of It All" will continue to be on display at CENTER in Santa Fe, New Mexico, through March 13, 2026.

The takeaway

"Weight of It All" offers a compassionate intervention, resisting spectacle and insisting on intimacy, collaboration, and shared authorship as acts of care. By transforming private struggle into visual dialogue, the project expands the cultural narrative around eating disorders and invites viewers to confront discomfort, extend empathy, and reconsider what recovery can look like within the fragile architecture of family and love.