Mathieu Laca - Off the wall portraiture

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.

A painting of Marc Séguin paired with an abstract painting representing his style

“Dear Painters”: My Love Letter to Quebec Artists

Originals

Marc Séguin, oil on linen, 16×32″, 2018 “Dear Painters”: My Love Letter to Quebec ArtistsThe story behind a 2018 series I painted in tribute to the Quebec artists who shaped me – Marc Séguin, Charles Daudelin (sculptor), Betty Goodwin, Marcel Barbeau, and more.