FROM THE IMRESSIONS COLLECTION
2025 | By Pablo Matute
Description
Pablo Matute’s work explores the intersection of materiality and representation, bringing a raw, tactile quality to traditional drawing techniques. In this piece, a meticulously rendered hand grips a sharply defined object, creating a striking contrast between the organic and the geometric. The choice of charcoal on cement enhances the tension between fragility and permanence, evoking themes of communication, creation, and the human relationship with tools. The gestural pose hints at both contemporary digital habits and timeless artistic traditions, inviting reflection on the way we shape and are shaped by our mediums.
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.