Matvei Matveev
“In my painting process, I tap into the unknown, but the work itself does not reveal an unknown world. Rather it shuts out the weight of ordinary life, its interference and leaves you alone with your dreams, phantasies and memories.
The use of natural and synthetic materials brings about a simultaneous fusion of the senses. I can smell the bleach, hear the crumble of salt and feel the high viscosity of thick linseed oil with each new layer. Each is informed by the material that came before - this emergence is seen. "
Matvei Matveev
At the core of Matvei Matveev’s practice lies the investigation of loneliness and feelings of disconnect to cultures he has experienced. Matvei mirrors this transience and unpredictability of his upbringing in the materiality of his process – a process where his direct gesture is removed, canvases are folded, stained and left in the rain, wind or snow for days.
Combining natural and synthetic materials such as linseed oil, salt, and bleach, each step of his process is informed by the material that came before, and by each action he willingly succumbs to the uncontrollable and irreversible interference and destruction that follows, evoking a simultaneous fusion of the senses whilst liberating the paintings from the limitations of structure, giving the paintings the voice and freedom to grow for themselves.
Matvei Matveev (b. 1996, Russia) is a Russian-German Artist living and working between London, Berlin and Riga. He holds an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art.