Matthew Bamber
MFA Fine Art
Matthew Bamber's work explores themes of memory and trauma, greed and power, queerness and identity, working with media which is inherently unstable and fragmented in nature. Incorporating photography, collage, drawing, video, textile and installation, his artworks are overloaded with layers of imagery, physically and digitally broken down and built back up, in an attempt to create a new whole from what has been destroyed. He is influenced by the composition and arrangement of Baroque art and its relevance as a contemporary lens to look at a world in a constant state of turmoil, seemingly content on forgetting the horrors of the past.
In 2022 Matthew was part of a two-person exhibition at Castlefield Gallery, Manchester where he showcased a large scale floor piece, referencing the environmental and cultural tipping point of the world. He also exhibited new photographic collage works that combine his personal memories with the tangled toxic histories often associated with the LGBTQIA+ community.
In 2023, Matthew's Subtle Slights, 2022 video was included at the Whitworth's group show, (Un)defining Queer. Subtle Slights is an audio-visual experience documenting a specific period of making in which the artist was exploring queer histories and theories, influences and different approaches to producing work.
Other recent group shows include Hidden doors, P7 Gallery, Berlin and I don’t know what I want, BUT I want it now!, A.P.T gallery, London. Forthcoming in 2024, Matthew will present new works in a solo show at Granada Foundation Galleries, Manchester, UK.
