CURRICULUM VITAE
Matthew R. Paden (b. 1977, Pendleton, Oregon)
Lives and works in Kansas City, Kansas.
BIO
Matthew R. Paden is a Kansas City–based contemporary painter whose work explores iconic figures and cultural imagery from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
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.
His contemporary abstract style transforms familiar faces into bold, textured compositions that celebrate memory, popular culture, and the enduring power of visual iconography.
Paden's work has been exhibited throughout the United States and is held in private collections across the country.
STATEMENT
Painting is my way of exploring what cannot be fully expressed through words. Working within the language of contemporary abstraction, I use bold color, expressive texture, and decisive gesture to move beyond representation and toward emotional resonance.
I am less interested in recording appearances than revealing presence—those intangible qualities that make an image linger long after it is seen.
My work invites viewers to slow down, to look beyond the familiar, and to discover meaning through the interplay of color, form, and memory. In an increasingly distracted world, I hope these paintings offer a moment of reflection, connection, and quiet wonder.
EDUCATION
BS, The Art Institute of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 2004 — Illustration and Digital Media
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITION
2021 — Viridian Coffee, Chickasha, OK
2020 — Viridian Coffee, Chickasha, OK
2019 — Water's Edge Winery, Oklahoma City, OK
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
2024 — Art Westport, Kansas City, MO (Juried Exhibition)
2024 — Third Friday Art Walk, Kansas City, KS
2023 — Tulsa Diamond House, Grove, OK
2023 — Jones Gallery, Kansas City, MO (Juried Exhibition)
2023 — Orange Buddha, Oklahoma City, OK
2022 — View 28 Gallery, Oklahoma City, OK
2021 — Carpe Artem, Oklahoma City, OK
2020 — Arts Council of Tahlequah, Tahlequah, OK
2020 — Steve Liggett Studio, Tulsa, OK
2019 — Steve Liggett Studio, Tulsa, OK
1997 — Nation's Capitol, Washington DC
AWARDS and HONORS
1997 — First Place, Congressional Arts, Salem, OR
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
PRIVATE COLLECTION
2021 — Inspired, Grants Pass, OR
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
2018 — Untamed, Absentee Shawnee
Tribe of Oklahoma
LECTURES/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
2024 — Kansas City Artist Coalition
Spontaneous Realism Painting
2023 — Muskogee Art Guild
Spontaneous Realism Painting
2022 — Mid-Del Art Guild, Oklahoma City
Guest Panelist
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2020 — Vice President and Show Chair,
Mid-Del Art Guild, Oklahoma City