About the Artist

As a Los Angeles native and child of Japanese and German musicians,Matthew Lum is a multidimensional creative talent heavily influenced by studies of art, psychology, philosophy, and literature. Believing that the basis of portraiture is rooted in neutrality and observation, Lum approaches his practice as a form of human study and a reflection of the psychological state.

Since graduating high-school, Lum has developed his practice through personal studies over the last five years honing his technical skills. He has since narrowed focus on stylistic choices inspired by the sensibilities of Old Printmasters of Japan and classical impasto techniques, combining European Impressionism and Asian mysticism.

Lum executes intimate portraits focusing on how light impacts the composition and figures depicted. His single subject paintings, reminiscent of work famously done by Lucian Freud, exude a vulnerability, tenderness, and internal radiance from Lum’s unique painterly style. Typically in his most recent work, a figure is featured in an isolated composition where the focal point is centered around the model’s hands or face. Each portrait is deeply personal, reflecting the most natural state of the subject as to capture the

subtleties of raw emotion in private moments of solitude. Lum describes his portraiture as projections of his interpretation of the subject rather than an exact representation as he aims to portray the most authentic essence of his subjects. As Lum continues to evolve his practice through classical portraiture and his personal lens, his work can be found through MRG Fine Art showcased on the online gallery and Artmatcher App.