Interview
Matthew Mark
Artist Matthew Mark (MCM) hails from the great white north of Canada. Eloquently, MCM is a visual artist and painter in contemporary art from this new age “metamodernism” coined by cultural theorists Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker. It is what comes after the post modernism era for the 2020’s beyond and moving forward in the arts. This consists of technological breakthroughs that the visual art world will need to continue to adapt & evolve around as society keeps advancing. To continue with past art genres and traditions but exploring and expanding it even further from those past concepts or ideas while merging and reconstructing them with what’s currently going on in our world at present time. These realms include exploring and using the digital and social media, virtual & mixed realities, A.I, robotics, and the post industrial information age. These are the reasons for this emergence of metamodernism.
As we continue, artist MCM is multifaceted in his discipline and art practice. His experiences of growing up in western Canada is comprised throughout his artwork. When it comes to the visual arts, Matthew focuses on his own style of painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and installation. He observes light and dark themes and everything else in between. MCM experiments with mediums such as acrylics, charcoal, graphite, ink, and sculpturing. Art genre influences of expressionism and fauvism are both interwoven together. Articulated through the distinct artistic idealization being portrayed throughout his work with a touch of spontaneity, playfulness and rawness. It is a true indication of the artist being creative, honest, sincere, passionate, authentic, real, and free. It captivates the mind and leaves room for some ambiguity to be thought about by using our imagination when being immersed in MCM art works. The works range from figurative, abstract and mixed media art. As of late MCM has taken his art across Canada showcasing his work. His art has been exhibited in certain places so far such as in Munich (Germany), Vienna (Austria,) London (England), Rome, Milan,& Venice (Italy) , San Diego (USA), Miami (USA), Los Angeles (USA), Madrid (Spain), Paris (France), Dubai, and has made a vast impression being a part of a digital art exhibition held in New York City at Times Square.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My background is being Canadian born with the cultural heritage background of Catonese Chinese. I identify myself ‘Canadian’ anyways being born and raised out in the west. My journey in the art world started after I was done with fine arts in post secondary. But I started doing art at a very young age when I was just a child. I would practice drawing figures and characters from pop culture, comic books, and from animation. I was awarded at seven years of age in elementary school being the best in art from my class. That gave me some confidence to continue with this creative outlet. Doing some art was on and off growing up but when I reached adult hood I decided to pursue this passion that had been in me for a long time. I guess just waiting for the right time to go for it. I've been a emerging artist the last few years. Continuing to get my artistic vision out to an audience as we speak.”
What inspires you?
“What inspires me varies from time to time. It's a combination of things I suppose. It can be from personal experiences, anything from nature and environment to human emotions, daily life observations, daily activities, companionship, music and media, from other artists, family and friends etc. The world is a big place to get inspired. The things I just mentioned for inspiration is pretty much it from my end.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I would say that the themes I explore in my work is geared and centered on the duality of light and dark and the complex ‘in-between’ states of the human experience. My work is deeply rooted in ‘Metamodernism’ an art movement that balances sincerity with irony and tradition with innovation. Some primary themes include exploring the ‘in-between.’ I'm a bit fascinated by the transitional spaces between contrasting realms, exploring the journeys, progress, or destruction that occur behind the scenes of everyday life. Humanity and the unknown, my practice is a ‘disclosing of what is already known and also the unknown,’ probing the deep emotions, thoughts, and universal connections that define the human condition. This includes social and cultural commentary. Themes of hope and resilience linger in my realm. Despite exploring heavy topics like ‘memento mori’ and societal chaos I aim to offer a sense of hope, joy, love, and the possibility of recovery through my artistic works.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would describe my works as it is characterized by a ‘multidisciplinary’ approach, utilizing painting, sculpture, and digital media. I'm just continuing on what some of the forefathers started from the modernism art and a few other art eras and expanding on it. I’d say that the aesthetics that I use frequently would be having a minimalist approach with pure geometric shapes to create intuitive patterns and narratives. My methods would include using a tactile process includes raw gestures like dripping paint and thick impasto layers to convey energy and spontaneity.”
Which artists influence you most?
“That would be a long list. I enjoy and like many artists from different genres and from different eras. But just to name a few who inspired me and influenced me growing up, artists such as Picasso, Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock, Vincent Van Gough, Francis Bacon, Ai Wei Wei, Egon Schiele, Basquiat, Freda Kalo, Georgia O Keeffe, Leonora Carrington, Lawren Harris, J.E.H MacDonald, John Heartfield, Cavaggio, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Evard Munch, Claude Monet, and Gustave Courbet. Just some of the masters and the greats from the contemporary art world.”
What is your creative process like?
“My creative process can be sometimes a messy journey from initial inspiration to the final outcome! I describe my process as a ‘multifaceted’ journey that often blends, sincere raw emotion with ironic, modern commentary, a philosophy I allow and align with the label ‘metamodernism.’ When I think about it, I employ a deeply emotional and multidisciplinary creative process, often using art to process personal feelings and societal observations. My work involves sketching, brainstorming, and researching concepts before executing pieces in mixed media, painting, sculpture, or printmaking. The key aspects of my creative process goes like this..firstly if I need to do research I will but where the process begins is with thinking and brainstorming ideas followed by human experiences. Then laying the foundations, developing a, blueprint before starting the physical piece, which may involve creating sketches or a maquette (a small scale model). Afterwards would be looking into what medium to use for the art piece I'm about to create. Medium includes (acrylic, charcoal, sculpture) based on the specific project and his emotional state in that moment, allowing for high flexibility. Then it's the execution and experimentation: He is constantly experimenting with new techniques and tools to see what outcomes he can achieve, including mixing solid and fluid acrylics.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“In my opinion, an artist's role in society is multifaceted, where they act as a mirror to culture, a catalyst for social change, and a keeper of emotional and historical truths. They transform personal experiences into universal languages, fostering empathy and community while challenging established norms. As we move into 2026 and beyond, the role of the artist is evolving rapidly, defined by a push for radical authenticity in response to digital saturation, shifting from a passive creator of objects to an active community builder and ethical commentator.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I would like to say having my art work be a part of the Art Expo New York City in 2025 was a highlight. Another would be having my art exhibited on the big digital panels at Times Square. Having my art shown at Art Miami during Miami Art Basel was also a flex. I think that having my work exhibited during the salon exhibition ‘Art Shopping’ in Paris held at the Louvre was also a highlight.”
Website: www.mcmartz.com
Instagram: @matthew_mark1234
