Matt Rise

Matt Rise is a figurative expressionist and surrealist painter and sculptor based in Sydney, Australia. Influenced by moments, interactions and relationships, Rise seeks to represent the flawed human experience through his own lens.
Using expressive colour, intuitive mark making and boldly simplified or distorted forms, Rise’s imagery plays on the tension between accident and intention, conscious and subconscious.
In his latest series IDOLS, Rise asks the questions – Who and what do we value, and at what point does that value become worship? His imagery plays on the relationship between ancient sculptural likeness and the nature of humanity to worship deity and icon, possession and appearance. Within that context, the uniformity of the pose and at times androgynous nature reminds us that we are one and the same, regardless of perceived values.
While Rise’s work is flooded with his own influences, very little is obvious, allowing the viewer to form their own interpretation, completing the artistic process and ultimately giving the work new meaning.