In 1998, Matthew Laurence attained his BFA and completed the Art Education program at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He began his career in Art education teaching darkroom photography and studio art within the Chicago Public School system. Matthew was able to share his love for art with high school students and use his time during summer holidays to travel and expand upon his passion in art in a wide range of media.

In 2004, Matthew decided it was time for a change and relocated to the other side of the world in Singapore to teach Visual Art overseas and widen his vision as an artist and art educator. During this period, most of Matthew’s ideas and influences were expanding from his travels within Asia, Africa, and Oceania. He also continued to dive deeper into watercolor, acrylic, oil, and mixed media work.

Most of Matthew’s inspiration stems from a wide range of artists and art styles. Artists such as Edward Hopper, Alphonse Mucha, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Jerry Uelsmann, and Henri Cartier-Bresson are ever present in Matthew’s mind. Thinking of Hopper’s figures convey the emotive use of isolation; while contradicting this with a harmony within the environment through curvaceous flowing lines of Mucha’s designs. Macintosh’s integrated environments use a multitude of media and materials, and the juxtaposing subject matter in Uelsmann’s photographs provide lessons in overlapping materials and subject matter. Continually keeping an eye out for the ‘decisive moment’, which makes Cartier-Bresson’s photographs so captivating and inspiring is at the heart of providing the perfect fit of all elements within a composition. These are the concepts that are the structural bases to which Matthew formulates his artwork.    

In addition to living abroad in Singapore, Matthew has returned to Europe to live in Munich, Germany and also Shanghai, China. Matthew fondly recalls his time living in these vibrant cultures, but always had left his heart in Singapore. In 2013, Matthew and his family relocated back to Singapore and are excited to be back in this cultural melting pot that he now calls home.

-Mandrake Wassle