Compassion Painting

The art of Mateo is at the frontier of Urban art & Ancient cultures. Questioning the perception of traditional craft in our contemporary societies. Born in France in 1985, Mateo is a world citizen based in Montreal. He is best known for his baroque street art inspired by ornaments from around the world, as well as for his striking oriental carpet paintings, resulting in a mix of urban art with the heritage of ancient cultures. His signature painted rugs feature striking feminine portraits adorned with ancient patterns, forcing us to question our cultural identity in an unrelenting system that pushes for uniformity in contemporary mass culture. They reflect an amazing way to pay homage to diversity in human cultures, claiming that uniformity is detrimental to our history and memory. After 20 years of painting in the streets around the world, Mateo has studied and used the art of ornamentation in most of his works. From walls to ceramics, fabrics and rugs, patterns blend into the paintings creating a cohesive bridge between his street and gallery work.