MATTHEW GRABELSKY
www.grabelsky.com
917-881-1700
Born in Los Angeles and raised in New York, Matthew Grabelsky graduated from Rice University in 2002 with a BA in Art and Art History and a BS in Astrophysics. Afterwards, he moved to Florence, Italy, where he spent four years studying the techniques of classical drawing and painting, followed by a two and a half year sojourn in Paris painting independently and learning directly from the work of the great French Masters. According to Mr. Grabelsky, “Astrophysics, taught me how to observe the world, and art has allowed me to express my relationship to it.”
His work focuses on combining the physical world that he sees around him every day with imagery from mythology and dreams. These paintings are not intended to be viewed as fantasy or as allegory but rather as a blend of every-day experiences with the subconscious. They are enigmatic, and create dream-like worlds that invite viewers to form their own interpretations of the imagery presented.
He paints in a highly realistic manner derived from his studies of 19th-century French Academic painters, and he uses this visual language to craft modern narratives. He places his subjects in urban settings: trains, gritty alleyways, and cosmopolitan cityscapes; then introduces a twist to create a mix of rational and irrational elements. His work is often humorous, and it straddles the divide between the serious and the bizarre.
Exhibitions
2012 Secon Skin, Copro Gallery, Santa Monica, USA.
Wild At Heart: Keep Wildlife Wild, Thinkspace Gallery, Culver City, USA.
Dark Pop 4, Last Rites Gallery, New York, USA.
Picks of the Harvest 2012, Thinkspace Gallery, Culver City, USA.
2011 Vignette Exhibitions: Matthew Grabelsky, Deborah Colton Gallery, Houston, USA.
Go West, Williams Tower Gallery, Houston, USA.
Go West, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France.
Paris-Texas, Culture Shock, Dorothy's Gallery, Paris, France.
Single Fare 2: Please Swipe Again, Sloan Fine Art, New York, USA.
2010 Curate NYC, Rush Arts Gallery - Chelsea, New York, USA.
SUB-Version/Sotto gli occhi di tutti, Artegiro, Montefiascone, Italy.
L'art contemporain dans tous ses états!, Dorothy’s Gallery, Paris, France.
2009 Americans in Paris, Dorothy’s Gallery, Paris, France.
Salon International 2009, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, USA.
2008 Summer Selections, Galerie Mouvances, Paris, France.
Return to the Classical, Grace Teshima, Paris, France.
2006 Angel Academy of Art Student Exhibition, Florence, Italy.
Florecimiento Exhibition, Ufizzi Center, Florence, Italy.
2005 Angel Academy of Art Student Exhibition, Florence, Italy.
2004 Salon International 2004, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, USA.
Angel Academy of Art Student Exhibition, Florence, Italy.
2003 Angel Academy of Art Student Exhibition, Florence, Italy.
2002 Rice University Senior Art Exhibition 2002, Houston, USA.
Awards
Honorable Mention (Figurative Category), ARC Salon 2008-2009.
Finalist (Still Life Category), ARC Salon 2008-2009.
Jury's Top 50, Salon International, 2004.
Education
2006 Certificate in Painting, Angel Academy of Art, Florence, Italy.
2002 BA Art and Art History, Cum Laude, Rice University, Houston, USA.
2002 BS Astrophysics, Cum Laude, Rice University, Houston, USA.