Eel Painting

Sam Mathers grew up in Raglan, New Zealand. He Has traveled and lived all over the world working as a full time artist. Sam is a hoarder of images, objects, consumer brands, everyday objects and creatures that inhabit his world. All these come together in a kind of symbiosis of connectedness. What draws us into his works is that we share much of his world. A kind of familiarity is felt. His influences come from the graphic nature of much of the commercial world together with the organic goodness of the rural scenes through which he travels to beaches where he surfs. His paintings are mostly two-dimensional in their laying out, but with closer inspecttion, many layers reveal themselves... building up of paint, scratching back, drawing, swathes of wet paint and intricate details, combine to beguiling effect. Sam has been exhibiting work since 2004. While living in London Sam worked for Sotheby’s moving fine art. This job influenced Sam a great deal, as he was constantly handling works by the greatest Artists to ever live. After returning to New Zealand Sam held his first solo exhibition in Raglan. He went on to hold a second, solo exhibition at Mobile Art Gallery in Auckland. Then he was commissioned by Saatchi & Saatchi to paint a mural in their Parnell office’s. Sam then went on to paint a mural for The Media Design School in Auckland. This led to another commissioned mural in San Diego in 2012 for New School of Architecture and Design (NSAD). Since then Sam has exhibited in numerous group art shows throughout New Zealand. Sam’s Art is now sought after by serious Art collectors in New Zealand and international collectors. Sam continues with his exhibitions in New Zealand and works on personal and commercial commissioned Art works in New Zealand and around the world.