Matt Paweski / MATRIX 191

February 3–May 7, 2023 

Trained in carpentry and fabrication, Los Angeles-based artist Matt Paweski makes hyper-formal sculptures from painted aluminum. Paweski’s works often suggest functionality, referencing industrial design and furniture making, yet they emerge from an intuitive, manual process of drawing, cutting, painting, reconfiguration, and experimentation. Lushly colored surfaces and crisp machine-like forms seduce viewers into optical experiences that swing between recognition and unfamiliarity. “Points of reference and inspiration are finely distilled through the process of making so that the viewer can find many personal touch points but no fixed references,” the artist has said. “[My works are] devices for expansion, introspection, and transcendence that propose new structures, architectures, designs, and possible paths forward—new views of the world.” 

In his first solo museum exhibition, Paweski sets a new suite of modestly scaled tabletop and wall-mounted sculptures within an installation that mixes elements of architecture, furniture, and interior design. 

MATRIX 191 is generously supported by the Wadsworth’s Contemporary Coalition. 

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

February 2, 2023 | Opening Artist Conversation: Matt Paweski / MATRIX 191, with Matt Paweski and Jared Quinton  
March 4, 2023 | Curator Talk with Jared Quinton
April 8, 2023 | Second Saturdays for Families: Fabricate and Form
April 8, 2023 | Gallery Talk: Matt Paweski / MATRIX 191 with Robert Wiesenberger

ABOUT MATRIX

Since its inception in 1975, MATRIX has been a forum for celebrating cutting-edge art and artists at the Wadsworth. The first exhibition series of its kind, the Wadsworth’s MATRIX program has inspired more than 50 similar programs dedicated to contemporary art at museums across the country. Click here to learn more about MATRIX.