Matt Hansel’s painstakingly crafted oil and flashe paintings span periods of art history, remixing and interpreting in collage-like pieces. The blending of Renaissance and Lowbrow iconography is pushed further into surrealism with Hansel’s abstractions, which also defy the painter’s chosen tools, and his use of exposed linen. The artist, an MFA graduate of Yale, has been shown across the U.S. and in Tokyo, London, and beyond.
“Layering imagery from classical painting with warped cartoons and trompe l’oeil figures, Hansel’s work plays with visual absurdity and challenges perspective,” a recent statement says. “Says the artist of his paintings, ‘These are fake history paintings. More specifically, these are paintings of ceremonies that surround fictitious historic moments. These paintings speak to our need for communal activities and how those activities are being constantly redefined by history.’”
See more of his recent work below.
