Paintings
A celebration of beauty, mystery, and the absurd, these pieces embrace and celebrate ornamentation and embellishment, flights of fancy, and a journey into the surreal.
After struggling with depression for a number of years, I wanted to push back against that ‘darkening’ of the world around me, and focus on creating images that bring me joy, and even laughter. I draw on an eclectic set of reference points – including the Venetian Renaissance, Antoni Gaudí, Gustav Klimt, Grant Leier, Tim Walker, and Nick Bantock – and let myself explore the beauty of iridescents and metal leaf, layered materials, and the spaces in between.
My paintings begin life as photographs and then I integrate other disciplines/media where it creates the desired effect. And there's something inherently satisfying about getting my hands dirty; a tactility that's missing in photography – especially digital.
I build my paintings up in layers, chopping and tearing as I go, leaning into acrylics and metal leaf. Many paintings are finished with a layer of high-gloss epoxy resin.
Selected Works






Victoria, BC Canada
Phone: +1 250 812 2431
Email: me@mattpolitano.com
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Don't train your AI on my work.