MATT TALBERT

Born:

1982, USA

Matt Talbert is a contemporary figurative artist based in Tustin, California, renowned for his bold and expressive oil paintings of the human figure. His artistic journey began at the Orange County School of the Arts, deepened with summer classes at the Art Center in Pasadena, and flourished while earning a BFA from Laguna College of Art and Design, where he fell in love with figure painting. A pivotal stint in Manhattan’s East Village after graduation immersed him in a dynamic arts community, pushing him beyond his academic roots.

Talbert first gained recognition for his vivid portrayals of craft cocktail culture, collaborating with top bars and bartenders nationwide, before shifting focus to powerful human figure works exhibited at galleries like Abend Gallery and Arcadia Contemporary. Internationally celebrated, he was a finalist in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and is competing in the Mod Portrait Competition in Barcelona. His techniques were spotlighted in a six-page feature in International Artist Magazine in 2023, and in 2025, he launched his first online painting course. Featured in publications like American Artist Magazine, PoetsArtists, and Los Angeles Magazine, Matt balances gallery exhibitions with portrait commissions, his large-scale works gracing collectors’ homes and offices worldwide.

Artist Statement

I paint people, but I am more interested in conveying an emotional state rather than illustrating an outward appearance.  I blur the line between our physical reality and the one that is going on in our heads.  Using oil paint I contrast the subtlety of skin tones with bold colors and thick textures in the background that enhance the emotions at play.  I look for facial expressions that tell a universal truth about what it is to be human.  Trusting my intuition, embracing spontaneity and doing so with confidence are the keys to my work.