* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.
Matthew Small’s work has strong urban roots. By using scrap metal as his canvas he brings physical elements of the city directly into his work. Likewise, his subjects are sourced anonymously and at random from the streets of London. The identity of individual subjects is of secondary importance to the power and general aesthetic of his portrait painting.
"I have a real love for work that controls the uncontrollable. Organised chaos I find compelling. To take a deliberate idea and make it appear accidental or spontaneous. Matt's work does all this at the same time as celebrating the medium of paint. I'm a colour junkie and I love his relationships of saturated and unsaturated colour."
"Matt's paintings on found objects collected from the streets are truly honest observations of real people full of humanity and respect. I really like his work as it's very complex and difficult, he doesn't pander to any conventions."
