Meet the Artist
Bio
“Art is a vehicle for storytelling. With my hands, I use it to convey the symbolism rooted in my Latin American upbringing and experience.A symbolism that is rich and shapes my unique worldview”
Matías Larzábal is a visual artist born in Uruguay and raised in a community-run orphanage. He is the happy and proud father of two lively teens and two step-children. Both his extended and blended families infuse his creative process. His paintings tell stories, spark interesting conversations and breathe life into spaces they adorn, including galleries, homes, offices and cafés across the world.
Presently, Matías resides in Canada where he finds inspiration in his surroundings, the people he encounters and the places he inhabits. In May 2022, Larzabal Art Gallery opened in Toronto’s west-end. This space also serves as a working studio where Matías and his daughter Ayla have the opportunity to create , collaborate and share their vision with the public.
Background
“I grew up in an orphanage operated by my parents. My sisters and I along with thirty other “siblings” grew up in what I consider was a magical place. As kids, we ran free in a pack; living, exploring, playing, and creating. This “free childhood”, safe and unrestricted, is something you don’t see much anymore. My experience as a child in this wondrous, supportive and collective environment informed my identity and shaped my vision. For me, art has been a way to connect with my soul. Art serves as a door to escape reality; a door to the magical world of my childhood.
When I paint, I become an alchemist. I create magic using colors, strokes, shapes, forms and lines. I let my vivid imagination roam without restraint; hoping to manifest places and moments where we can all feel free and feel safe. I believe everything and anything is possible on the canvas. It is the place where I can share my vision of the world. On the canvas, my vision, unfiltered and unrestricted, becomes reality.”
Artist Statement
"I often draw the beautiful things my eyes perceive. I take inspiration from the many places and peoples I encounter in my life journey. When I look at my surroundings, I tend to perceive the spaces and moments I experience through a kaleidoscope. My perspective becomes an interpreter of the colours and the light coming through a viewfinder which I then transfer on the surfaces I work with using paint and other materials. In fact, some of my paintings can be viewed through 3-D glasses to experience the colours and shapes moving and engaging in unexpected and magical ways.
For me, art is a collaborative act and I enjoy involving others in the creative process, whether as inspiration or participant. This approach is reflected in the finished piece, where everyone and everything infusing my vision comes alive in a unique and surprising fashion.”
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