FROM THE IMRESSIONS COLLECTION
2025 | By Pablo Matute
Description
Pablo Matute captures a deeply personal reflection on his childhood, recalling the presence of his parents as they worked in construction. The perspective, low and intimate, mirrors the gaze of a child looking up, emphasizing the monumental presence of labor and parental sacrifice. The carefully rendered folds of the pants and the grounded stance of the worker evoke a sense of resilience and dedication. By using charcoal on cement—a material intrinsically linked to construction—Matute bridges memory with medium, creating a poignant tribute to the hands that build both structures and lives.
Pablo Francisco Matute (b. 1999, Ecuador) is a visual artist based in Miami, whose work is shaped by his upbringing in South Florida. Matute’s art delves into the intersection of labor, culture, and space, using unconventional surfaces and transparent mediums like charcoal to capture the layered essence of his memories. This unique approach evokes the multifaceted nature of Latino identity and the physical and emotional labor that contributes to the shaping of personal and collective spaces.
A graduate of Florida International University with a Bachelor of Arts, Matute has exhibited in numerous spaces, including the Doral Museum of Contemporary Art, The University of Nova’s Gallery 217, and Laundromat Art Space, where he is also an ongoing resident. A recipient of the 2024 Artist Innovation Grant from the Broward Cultural Division, his work has been featured in various publications and exhibitions, continuing to contribute to the cultural dialogue of Miami's vibrant art scene.