Mexican Painter Tomas Pineda Matus Visits Campus as Experimental Printmaking Institute’s Artist-in-Residence

El Viage Juntos by Tomas Pineda Matus

Mexican artist Tomas Pineda Matus will be working with students and presenting a lecture Oct. 7 as part of the Experimental Printmaking Institute’s artist-in-residency program.

Matus, whose residency is from Sept. 20-Oct. 17, will discuss his work at 4 p.m. Oct. 7 in room 108 of the Williams Center for the Arts. This event is also part of Lafayette’s celebration of Latino Heritage Month and is sponsored by the art department, the Latin American and Caribbean studies program, and EPI. Matus will also be part of EPI’s Open House from 2-4 p.m. Oct. 9, where he will produce a special print.

Matus will be creating a mural with students in the Drawing II class taught by Curlee Raven Holton, Roth Professor of Art and director of EPI. Also in collaboration with EPI, Matus’ solo exhibit, Wanderings, will be on display Oct. 1-30 at the ArtJaz Gallery in Philadelphia. An opening reception will be from 5-8 p.m. Oct. 1 at the gallery.

Matus’ art combines animal themes with geometric shapes and rich color. He has participated in over 30 group and solo exhibits in Cuba, Japan, Mexico, and the United States. He is well-known for his Oaxacan indigenous style of art-making.

The Experimental Printmaking Institute was established by Holton in 1996 to promote research and experimentation within the print medium. Since its inception, the EPI visiting artist and artist-in-residence programs have introduced students to over 80 artists from diverse cultural and social backgrounds. The visiting artists have provided students with talented, well-educated, and ambitious role models. Their residencies have inspired print editions, experimental works, and artists’ books, which have been included in galleries and exhibits around the globe.