Mathieu Laca - Off the wall portraiture

Painting James and Nora for Josh and Kathryn

Uncategorized

Josh and Kathryn Brolin with portrait of James Joyce and Nora Barnacle Painting James and Nora for Josh and KathrynWith this commissioned portrait, one passionate and complex couple reflects another.

A Portrait Commission of Three Generations of Women

Commissions

A Portrait Commission of Three Generations of WomenA few months ago, I wrote about a commission that went wrong. Today, I want to share a very contrasting story. When a commission works well, the work can create such a powerful and emotional connection that it can be overwhelming.

I interviewed Vincent van Gogh 😳

Life

I interviewed Vincent van Gogh Did that really just happen?

A portrait of Walter Benjamin painted by artist Mathieu Laca

Behind the Scene: Aborting a Portrait Commission

Commissions

Walter Benjamin, oil on linen, 48″X42″, 2020 Behind the Scene: Aborting a Portrait CommissionToday, I feel like shit. I learned yesterday that the portrait of Walter Benjamin I’ve been painting is being refused by the people who commissioned it.

Mathieu Laca interviewed in L'Artist Magazine in March 2020

INTERVIEW: L’Artis Magazine

Life

INTERVIEW: L’Artis MagazineA few weeks ago, I was visited in my studio by the people behind L’Artis magazine.

Martin Luther King Jr. – An Antidote for Hate

Originals

Coretta Scott and Martin Luther King (diptych), oil on linen, 60″ X 144″, 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. – An Antidote for HateThis week, I found myself asking myself: if art had an antidote for hate, what would it be? As always, I thought of Martin Luther King Jr.

A painting of Alfred and Georgia by artist Mathieu Laca

United in Portraiture — A Love Story

Commissions

Georgia O’Keeffe / Alfred Stieglitz, oil on linen, 30″X24″ each, 2019/2018 United in Portraiture — A Love StoryThe diptych that reinforced my belief in the profound link between romance and portraiture.

A portrait of contemporary American composer John Adams painted by artist Mathieu Laca

A Letter to My Favorite Contemporary Composer, John Adams

Life

John Adams, oil on linen, 42X48″, 2018 A Letter to My Favorite Contemporary Composer, John AdamsPainting American composer John Adams was an intensely personal experience for me. Here’s the letter I sent Adams to express my love for his work.

Fluo Colors – The Secret Behind the Vibrancy of My Upcoming Paintings

Life

[In Progress] Clara and Robert Schumann, 2019 Fluo Colors – The Secret Behind the Vibrancy of My Upcoming PaintingsLately, I’ve been dabbling in fluo color washes. As a painter known for my very toned-down palette, it may seem like a radical shift. It’s not.

Paintings of Jacques Derrida and a fictional cat - staring at each other eternally

The Animal That Therefore I Am: Jacques Derrida and His Cat

Originals

Jacques Derrida, oil on linen, 24X20″, 2017 | Cat, oil on linen, 24X20″, 2017 The Animal That Therefore I Am: Jacques Derrida and His CatWe are who we think we are. But we are also who other people think we are.