Matthew Barelli
Matthew Barelli is an upcoming artist, whose travels and influences make him an exciting addition to the art world. Having grown up in the area of Phoenix, AZ, which enveloped a mix of poverty and wealth, Matthew was exposed to both the graffiti of the streets as well as the fine arts housed in the local galleries and museums. It was in Arizona that Matthew’s first influence and interest in the Native American art of the southwest took place.
After Matthew’s high school graduation he relocated to Atlanta, GA where he attended Kennesaw State University. During the next few years he travelled and spent much of his free time in the surrounding southeast states as well as Mexico and various islands of the Bahamas.
Matthew graduated from Kennesaw State University with a B.A in Sport Management and an underlying concentration in the arts, but it was through his travels that he came to find his true passion, Art. He states that Atlanta and Miami have had the greatest impact on his art and expresses that he, “highly respects the Miami style and the way it creates such energy.”
Since moving to New York in early 2011, Matthew has decided to dedicate all of his time and efforts to his art. He claims, “Since moving to New York my relationship with art, specifically painting, has ‘exploded’.” Through his use of color and brushstrokes, Matthew evokes a unique sense of emotion ranging from intense highs to mysterious and dark lows.
Matthew is currently exhibiting in New York City at:
West Park Art Gallery 165 West 86th Street, New York, NY tel. 718.216.4506
Fairway Studios 115 West 30th Street, Suite 408, New York, NY tel. 212.239.2979
Influential Artists
Pablo Picasso, Jean Michel Basquait, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Vincent Van Gogh, Banksy, Keith Haring, Marcel Duchamp
