10 Questions with Matthew Morpheus

Matthew Morpheus (Serhii Matveichenko) is a visual artist born in Ukraine. Throughout his career, he has received several international awards (Beijing, Moscow, New York, etc.). He is also the creator of two techniques in abstractionism.

The creative activity of the artist takes place in Ukraine. For several years, he has also lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, and he currently lives in the United Kingdom. Serhii is one of the flagships of contemporary art, and the artist's works fully convey the entire atmosphere of the 21st Century New Age concept, with its unique new cultural diversity and unusual genres and ideas.

mrmatthewmorpheus.crevado.com

INTERVIEW

When and how did you start getting involved with visual arts and collage?

I started doing fine arts at the age of 10-12. Of course, it was a period of searching for oneself, one's own style. I was expressing my emotions and rebellious views of the world through the prism of art. Any of my innovative techniques are a combination of different styles, whether it's an abstraction written with gelly roll pens or space paintings drawn with fluorescent luminous paints, or collages on topical issues.

You traveled extensively and lived in different cities. How do these experiences influence your work?

Oh, Yes, I love to travel a lot, especially getting acquainted with the culture and customs of different people. Moreover, in order to understand the peculiarities of various civilizations, one must not just travel as a tourist but live, work, and communicate with local residents for months. Then and only then can one understand the essence and aspirations of different peoples. All this, of course, is reflected in my work.

New World Order, Digital, 21x29 cm, 2023 © Matthew Morpheus

Let's talk about your digital collages. Can you explain what your idea is and how you are working on it?

The idea for digital collages came to me the idea came to me unexpectedly when I wrote my first non-commercial book in 2014. By the way, the book was well-received by critics. Then, the collage was used as a book cover. I returned to this idea with collages much, much later.
In the modern world, where a person cannot focus his attention on something for a very long time, collage art is an ideal option for conveying a huge array of information in just one picture. We can say that the collage is TikTok at maximum speed.
Collages allow me to express a lot of emotions in a person. A person can display only one emotion on his face - fear, joy, sorrow, sympathy. But in the soul, a man is many-sided. All intertwined experiences, from love to hate, create the most important feeling that is in the bins of his soul. And her name is "Zero Emotion."
This is the idea of all my works that, looking at a collage or any other of my work, would evoke a lot of emotions in a person and thereby make you think about what place he occupies in this world and what he lives for in general.

Where do you find inspiration for your work, and what is your creative process like?

Interesting question. I draw inspiration from everything that surrounds me. Having heard a certain song by an unknown artist, an idea for a work may come to me at the same moment. Contact with people and objects, or even peering into the void for a long time, you can see the whole versatility of this world. The creative process is a kind of many hours or many days of meditation. Believe me, even a small, barely noticeable black dot on a snow-white canvas, any episode in a collage, or even a brick sticking out unevenly on the corner of a building has a sacred meaning.

In your work, you often deal with political issues and characters. What messages do you want to convey?

The current war in my native country has certainly affected my life, my loved ones, and my work. Art is a silent witness to the terrible things that happen in war. And as it was thousands of years ago and will be a thousand years after us - any war is an impetus to a new round of spiritual development through opposition and pain.
And, of course, any war can be viewed through different levels of being. Some die for an idea; others earn on it by playing Patriots. Well, still others simply display the future through the prism of the present.
There are only three major vices in the world - greed, anger, and lust. These three gates lead to hell. From them, all other misfortunes begin. My works on political topics are just a reflection of these problems.

Why do you use this visual language? And how has it evolved over the years?

Visual art is one way of influencing people's feelings. I plan to combine visual, auditory, and tactile feelings. There are already developments. But, alas, the war brought its own adjustments to life.

What do you hope that the public takes away from your work?

All accidents are not accidental. Every action has a consequence. And my purpose is to show people how to properly interact with the material, subtle and spiritual worlds through creativity. And for this, a person must ask only one, the most important question in life, - "Who am I?".

New Gods, Digital, 21x29 cm, 2023 © Matthew Morpheus

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future in terms of new projects?

I have serious experience in creating an exposition dedicated to the current war. I will also continue to create collages on various topics. Follow my social networks; I promise it will be interesting.

Do you have any upcoming shows or collaborations you are looking forward to?

At the moment, I am participating in several competitions and grants. I am also looking for organizations and individuals for collaboration in New York.

Finally, where do you see yourself five years from now?

Due to the fact that at the moment, I am a refugee, it is difficult to say what will happen in five years. If circumstances permit, I will most likely immigrate in the near future to the greatest capital of contemporary art - New York and build my professional career there.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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