Matt Small

Matt Small


Education

MA Illustration, Royal College of Art, 2000

BA Illustration, Westminster (First Class), 1998

Awards

Hunting Art Prize Nominee, UK, 2002

Villiers David Art Prize UK, 2001

BP Portrait Award Nominee, 2001

E-D-F Man Drawing Competition, Second Place, 2000



ARTIST STATEMENT



Small is a passionate believer in social inclusion and that, given the opportunities to be heard and respected, all individuals have something of value to contribute to society.

His paintings are an expression of his world view: by painting young marginalized figures of society he allows the viewer to spend time with these people in the hope that a shared a sense of humanity unrestricted by class and social boundaries will arise.

Previous projects include ‘Hope in Life’ where Matt ran a series of weekly workshops with people who have spent time in mental health institutions, and/or were homeless or educationally excluded. Each week this group would come together and, alongside established artists, express themselves through painting and music.