About
Matthew R. Paden is an award-winning contemporary abstract artist living in Oklahoma with his beautiful wife and daughter, Matt's larger-than-life pieces astonish in both private and public exhibits.
Specializing in Spontaneous Realism, Paden often uses vivid and expressive colors with lots
of palette knife texture to create the strikingly evocative acrylic pieces.
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From his atmospheric “Utopia” series, to the eminently realistic “Famous Faces”, the artist masterly captures the subtlest of emotions and delicate moody intricacies.
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Despite his diverse choice of subjects, Matt’s body of work is united in its ability to evoke emotion and awe in the viewer, with precise details etched amongst broad yet perfectly executed brushstrokes.
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STATEMENT
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"Famous Faces"
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"Quietly observing the chaos around me; I’m fascinated by the simplicity, yet the overall complexities of the world.
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With diverse influences as Elton John and Clint Eastwood, my "Famous Faces," Spontaneous Realism series juxtapositions representational art with fluidity and vulnerability apparent in abstract expressionism. Splashes of vivid color along with dynamic brushwork fuse vigorous combinations synthesized from opaque and transparent layers enhanced into a prestige manifesto.
By reconnoiter the relentless credo of Pop-culture and the emotional reminiscence of celebrity icons from decades past. Only leaving a sense of decadence and the chance for a new understanding. As momentary derivatives become static through emergent and various practice, the keen observer is left with a subtle clue to cultures that are fading away."
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- Matthew R. Paden, 2019
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VITAE
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1st. Vice President/Show Chair
MID-DEL ART GUILD
October 2020 - Current
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EXHIBITIONS
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GROUP
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​July - December 2020
Carpe Artem Gallery, Oklahoma City
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June 27th - 28th
OK Art Crawl - OVAC
Chickasha, OK
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June 6th - June 27th, 2020
Steve Liggett Studio, Tulsa, OK
Poetica Erotica - "Enchanted"
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June 2019
Steve Liggett Studio, Tulsa, OK
First Annual Tulsa Erotic Art Show -
"Sensual Chaos"
May 2019
Water's Edge Winery - Oklahoma City, OK "Bold & Vivid"
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February 2019
A.C.T. Gallery, Tahlequah, Oklahoma -
"Erotic Art Show"
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January 2019
A.C.T. Gallery, Tahlequah, Oklahoma -
"Tri-County Art Show"
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February 2003
Art Institute of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
"Into The Sunset"
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February 2002
Art Institute of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
"Expressions of Blue"
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January 1997
Congressional Art Competition, Washington, D.C. -
"Victory Touchdown"
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October 1996
Congressional Art Competition, Salem, Oregon -
"Victory Touchdown"
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November 1995
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
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SOLO
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November 2018 - May 2020
"Famous Faces," Oklahoma City
Water's Edge Winery
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October 2018
"Vivid Visions," Oklahoma City -
Water's Edge Winery
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PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
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"Inspired," 10-Piece Series
Trevor Yarrish, ​Grants Pass, OR
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​​AWARDS
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October 2003
Art Institute, Phoenix, AZ
Best In Show
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June 2002
Art Institute, Phoenix, AZ
2nd Place
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January 1996
Congressional Art Competition,
Salem, OR - First Place
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November 1995
Oregon State University
Honorable Mention
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PUBLICATIONS/PRESS
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Muskogee Phoenix, Muskogee, OK
May 2019
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Tahlequah Daily Press,
Tahlequah, OK - February 2019
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Denver Westworld, Denver, CO
June 2009
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Portland Tribune, Portland, OR
May 2007
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Willamette Week, Portland, OR
October 2006
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KVAL News, Eugene, OR
April 2005
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Phoenix, Gazette, Phoenix, AZ
July 2003
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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS &
DEMONSTRATIONS
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Mid-Del Art Guild
Oklahoma City - January 2021
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Carpe Artem
Oklahoma City - November 2020
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Mid-Del Art Guild
Midwest City, Oklahoma - March 2020
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Mid-Del Art Guild
Midwest City, Oklahoma - February 2020
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Muskogee Art Guild
Muskogee, Oklahoma - May 2019
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A.C.T. Gallery
Tahlequah, Oklahoma - April 2019
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A.C.T. Gallery
Tahlequah, Oklahoma - February 2019
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Community College Colorado
Denver, CO - October 2009
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Lane Community College
Eugene, OR - April 2007
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Phoenix, AZ School District
Phoenix, AZ - February 2002
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NOTABLE COMMISSIONS
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Trever Yarrish, Oregon
"Inspired" series, July 2020 - July 2021
(Private)
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Danny Phillips, Program Chair-Mid-Del Art Guild
"Groovin' Free Together," April 2020
(Private)
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Absentee Shawnee Cultural Preservation Department "Untamed," July 2018
(Public)
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PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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OVAC - Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition
Mid-Del Art Guild
COMMISSIONS
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Savvy Palette commissions make unique, and elegant gifts, suited for any sophisticated collectors.
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From large scale impact pieces for commercial projects, to personal custom paintings for family bespoke collection, Matt welcomes your custom art commissions!
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