Matthew R. Paden (b. 1977, Pendleton, Oregon)

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Lives and works in Kansas City, Kansas.

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BIO

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Matthew R. Paden is a Kansas City–based contemporary painter whose work explores iconic figures and cultural imagery from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

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Working primarily on a large scale, he employs a vivid color palette and expressive palette knife techniques to create emotionally charged paintings that bridge nostalgia and modern expression.

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His contemporary abstract style transforms familiar faces into bold, textured compositions that celebrate memory, popular culture, and the enduring power of visual iconography.

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Paden's work has been exhibited throughout the United States and is held in private collections across the country.

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STATEMENT

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"American Reverie," explores the faces that have shaped our collective imagination.

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Through large-scale palette knife pieces, I reinterpret cultural legends such as Elvis, Marilyn, The Beatles, and John F. Kennedy as modern myths rather than historical figures. Thick layers of paint, fractured edges, and expressive texture mirror the way memory works—imperfect, emotional, and deeply personal.

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These are not portraits of celebrity, but reflections on nostalgia, identity, and the enduring power of shared experience. Each painting invites viewers to revisit the people who defined an era and consider why their images still resonate generations later.

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EDUCATION

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BS, The Art Institute of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 2004 — Illustration and Digital Media

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​​SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITION 

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​​2021 — Viridian Coffee, Chickasha, OK

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2020 — Viridian Coffee, Chickasha, OK

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2019 — Water's Edge Winery, Oklahoma City, OK

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​SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION 

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2024 — Art Westport, Kansas City, MO (Juried Exhibition)

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2023 — Tulsa Diamond House, Grove, OK

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2023 — Jones Gallery, Kansas City, MO (Juried Exhibition)

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2023 — Orange Buddha, Oklahoma City, OK

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2022 — View 28 Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK  ​

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2021 — Carpe Artem, Oklahoma City, OK

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2020 — Arts Council of Tahlequah, Tahlequah, OK

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2020 — Steve Liggett Studio, Tulsa, OK

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2019 — Steve Liggett Studio, Tulsa, OK

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1997 — Nation's Capitol, Washington DC

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​​​​​​​​​AWARDS and HONORS

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1997 — First Place, Congressional Arts, Salem, OR

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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

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PRIVATE COLLECTION

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2021 — Inspired, Grants Pass, OR

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PUBLIC COMMISSIONS

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2018 — Untamed, 

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LECTURES/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

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​2024 — Kansas City Artist Coalition 

Spontaneous Realism Painting

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2023 — Muskogee Art Guild  

Spontaneous Realism Painting

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2022 — Mid-Del Art Guild, Oklahoma City  

Guest Panelist

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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

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2020 —  Vice President and Show Chair,

Mid-Del Art Guild, Oklahoma City

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