Born 1986 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Lives and works in Montreal, Canada
Manuel Mathieu is known for his large paintings, which oscillate between abstraction and figuration. With a distinctive style, borne of gestural and expressionist influences, he depicts the figure in mutation: testing its physical boundaries and disappearing into its environment. Departing from purely formal considerations and his filiation of post-war abstract expressionism, Mathieu’s interest in deconstructing the human figure addresses issues around geographical representation, dehumanisation and resistance.
Mathieu studied Visual and Media Arts at the University of Quebec in Montreal and obtained a MFA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths College, University of London, London in 2016. Recent exhibitions include Deptford X, London (2016); ICA, London (2015); Grand Palais, Paris; Musée d’Art Contemporain (MAC), Montreal (2014) and POPOP Gallery, Montreal (2014). In 2017 his solo presentation at Art Brussels was shortlisted for the SOLO Prize.