Daniel Mattar was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1971. He studied art and design at PUC Rio. His research in photography began in Tokyo, Japan, where he lived and worked in the nineties. For twenty-five years that photography is his form of expression. Today he lives in Lisbon, Portugal, where he develops his artistic work.
How did you get into art?
I was born in Brazil into a family of artists, and from an early age I was surrounded by my father's colorful and organic fiberglass sculptures, a very stimulating scene of colors and shapes. From there it was a leap to experimenting with art through photography and painting.
How would you describe your style? What makes your art special?
Through 2D photography I try to occupy the third dimension of the material that makes up the paint and pigments. A mixture of illuminated painting and three-dimensional sculptural forms finished off with large-scale photography.
How do you go about developing your work?
I create compositions and textures on a microcosmic scale and photograph these paintings and compositions while the paint is still fresh, using optics and especially meticulous lighting to reveal mountains, seas and dramas in the final large-scale image. I often print these images on aluminum and paint with large brushes this new surface that is born from the micro and finished in the macro with consecutive generations of images and appropriations of the surfaces that surround me in everyday life.
Who or what influences you?
I lived in Japan for some time, practiced meditation and Zen philosophy in my creative journey. I try to create power in restricted micro areas and connect with the natural aspect of our planet, portraying the topography, the natural forces and the epiphany of discovering the macro in the microcosm. Zen Buddhism, Taoism and the thought of Eastern philosophies are my guide and school.
What are you planning to do next?
At the moment I am focused on the production of my book, which portrays this journey of the last few years, experimenting through photography and painting with the connection to the poetics of shapes and colors. The book will be released in November and the process of reviewing and summarizing these years of work has been very exciting.
