Luís Lázaro Matos

Luis Lázaro Matos - Shhh! #4

Technique: shellac based ink and indian ink on canvas

Artist Biography: Luis Lázaro Matos is a contemporary artist born in Évora, Portugal, in 1987. He currently lives and works between Brussels, Lisbon and Ibiza. He studied painting at the Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade de Lisboa between 2006 and 2010, and then completed his BA in Art Practice at Goldsmiths College, University of London in 2011.Lázaro Matos' work spans various media, including painting, sculpture and installation. His artistic practice focuses on the exploration of the relationship between the human being and the environment. Through his works, the artist invites critical reflection on the way we relate to nature and natural resources.Lázaro Matos' most notable exhibitions include his participation in the 4th Lisbon Contemporary Art Triennial, where he presented his work "Landscape is my Religion" in 2013. He has also had solo exhibitions at Plataforma Revólver gallery in Lisbon, Jan van Eyck gallery in Maastricht, and Espositivo gallery in Madrid. In addition, he has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and Belgium.Lázaro Matos' work has been praised for his ability to combine formal beauty with profound social and political criticism. Through his art, the artist seeks to provoke reflection on our relationship with the environment and the need for a paradigm shift towards a more sustainable and respectful approach to nature.

 

The series of paintings "Shhh!" were the core of the site specific project developed by Luís Lázaro Matos for Art|Basel Parcours, in the library of the Kunstmuseum Basel which, like any public library, is subject to rules about decency and silence. However, for Parcours, mythical hybrid beings are engaged in a range of sexual activities throughout the venerable institution in an attempt to undermine the prudish nature of pursuing science. The artist hints at the possibility that the frivolous scenes might even be taking place in the minds of defiant library users. Installed on the bookshelves, paintings physically stop the public from gaining access to the knowledge the library provides. In the reading room's alcoves, four panels show anthropomorphic, whip-swinging dogs that look like something between Egyptian sphinxes and participants at a fetish party. The austerity of the venue is further punctured by colorful vinyl stickers featuring textual representations of the sounds of animals on heat and the type of human dirty talk found on dating apps. As the works overthrow convention, albeit silently, the burning desire animating these tumultuous therianthropic entities is not only governed by the fetish of exhibitionism but also the desire for consumption and destruction of knowledge, using an institution of knowledge as a playground for erotic pleasure. Luís Lázaro Matos has developed an immersive practice that dives into a complex realm of dynamics, both intimate and social, often dealing with identity politics and queerness. The visual artist and musician regularly creates theater-like environments, using painting, drawing, text, and video, where his narratives unfold.