Artist’s Statement
Wetness, slipperiness, and gloopy-ness all describe different states of paint and ink – these words also resonate when describing movement of bodily fluids and oscillating waves of passion, ardour and fervour: Experimenting with coloured liquids Matthew Swift became aware of a magnetic push and pull between internal tides, both emotional and physical, and the art materials he plays with.
Currently he is investigating the insistent protrusions that have recently been pushing their way through the fabrics and surfaces he employs; their materialisation echoing the unruly force of human hair as it extends itself into existence, or limbs that have been bound for too long finally forcing themselves free. His new work visualises a dialogue between his ‘sensitised queer hairy body’ and the crumbling and worn, built environments and coastal edges he regularly moves through and between.
Matthew Swift is a painter and mixed-media artist who works between Whitstable (UK) and Melbourne (Australia). His first studio was in Hoxton 1994, before gaining an MFA in studio art from NYU in 1999 where he interned for Amy Sillman. He has exhibited in New York, Philadelphia, Melbourne, London and Kent and shown extensively in group and two-person shows, including ‘Constructure’ at Standpoint Gallery and ‘Dialogue with DeKooning’ at RCA. He co-curated ‘24 Hours of Everything’ with Paula Stuttman for ‘Whitstable Biennale Satellite’ 2018.
In 2014, he set up Ground Collective for which he has curated a series of exhibitions including a week’s residency ‘Incubator of Ideas’ at APT Gallery (October 2020, during the pandemic) and consequently ‘Ground Work’, also at APT Gallery (October 2021). Most recently he co-curated ‘Something Happened Here’ at Asylum Gallery, Suffolk (July 2025). In 2008, Matthew had a residency at the Florence Trust and was shortlisted for the Chiara Williams SOLO Award (2018). He completed a two month PADA Residency Aug/Sept 2024. His work is in private collections in Europe, United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. His studio is currently in Whitstable, Kent. He is working towards ‘Striding Edge’ a group show with Unprimed Collective in Brixton, London and Chrissy Moore Art Advisory’s inaugural show, ‘Vanishing Points’ in Edinburgh, both October 2025
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Education
| 2002-2003 | PGCE in Art and Design, Institute of Education, Bedford Way, London |
| 1997-1999 | MFA in Studio Art, New York University, USA |
| 1986-1989 | BA Theatre Design, Central/St Martins School of Art and Design, London |
| 1984-1985 | Foundation Course, Central/St Martins School of Art and Design, London |
Exhibitions
| July 2025 | ‘Something Happened Here’, Asylum Studios Gallery, Bentwaters, Suffolk |
| May 2025 | ‘Time to Time’, Safehouse 1, Peckham, London SE15 3SN |
| March 2025 | ‘Quiet, Bright’, Terrace Gallery, London E17 7HU |
| Feb 2025 | ‘Floating Worlds’, Frank, Whitstable, Kent |
| Feb 2025 | ‘The Floor is Lava’, 125 Shaftesbury Ave, London, WC2H 9HR |
| Oct 2024 | ‘Layers’, The Department Strore, Brixton, London UK |
| Sept 2024 | ‘After Sunset I Gather My Belongings’, PADA Gallery, Barreiro, Portugal |
| July 2024 | ‘Textile Open’, No Format Gallery, Moulding Lane, London SE14 6BN |
| Oct 2023 | ‘Under Their Skin’, One Paved Court, TW9 1LZ |
| Sept 2023 | ‘Do Not Swallow’, Safehouse 1 & 2, London SE15 3SN |
| July 2023 | ‘Uncertain Edges’, Electro Studios Project Space, St Leonard’s on Sea, Sussex |
| May 2023 | ‘EYE DOOR’, Safehouse 1, London SE15 3SN |
| March 2023 | ‘Mud, for you’, Fitzrovia Gallery, London W1T 5EN |
| Jan 2023 | ‘Bayside Local’, Brighton Town Hall, Victoria 3186, Australia |
| Dec 2022 | ‘Small Works Art Prize’, Brunswick Street Gallery, Victoria 3065, Australia |
| Nov 2022 | ‘Material Presence’ Part One, Fitzrovia Gallery, London W1T 5EN |
| July 2022 | ‘Crouch End Tiger Hidden Banana’, North London Art Dialogue, Hornsey Library, |
| March 2022 | ‘This Year’s Model Part One’ Studio1.1, Shoreditch, London E2. |
| Jan 2022 | ‘In Formation’ Group Show, Thames Side Gallery, London SE18. |
| Nov 2021 | ‘The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog’. Online exhibition with Cohort Art. |
| Oct 2021 | ‘Ground Work’ APT Gallery, Deptford, London SE8. |
| June 2021 | ‘In Response’ Group Show, Nunnery Gallery, London E3. |
| Feb 2021 | ‘In Absentia’ Online exhibition with Cohort Art. |
| Oct 2020 | ‘Incubator of Ideas’ APT Gallery, Deptford, London SE8. |
| July 2019 | ‘Colour Space’ group show, Pie Factory, Margate, Kent |
| March 2019 | ‘By The Way’ group show, Lewisham Arthouse, London |
| June 2018 | 24 hours of everything, with Paula Stuttman, Whitstable Biennale Satellite, Whitstable Station, Kent |
| May 2018 | Chiara Williams Solo Award Finalists Exhibition, Cello Factory, London SE1 |
| Nov 2017 | Winter Salon, Rye Creative Centre, Sussex |
| Aug 2017 | Summer Salon Angus Hughes Gallery London E5 |
| Dec 2016 | Thames: The Artery of London, St Katharine Dock, London E1W |
| June 2016 | ‘Amalgam’ new work as part of Whitstable Biennale Satellite, Kent |
| Oct 2015 | ‘Things That Are There’ group show, Pie Factory, Margate, Kent |
| 2013-2014 | Ongoing group shows at Frank, Whitstable, Kent |
| April 2012 | Group show at Maybe a Vole, King Henry’s Walk, London N1 |
| Feb 2010 | ‘Constructure’, with Simon Haddock at Standpoint Gallery, Hoxton, London |
| July 2009 | ‘Paddington Puff’, at Tina We Salute You! King Henry’s Walk, London N1 |
| April 2009 | Solo Show at Madame Lillie’s, Cazenove Rd, London N16 |
| Sept 2008 | Illumini, group show, Crypt St Pancras, London NW1 |
| July 2008 | Florence Trust, Residency Show, St Saviours Church, London N5 |
| Aug 2007 | 1 Year Residency at Florence Trust, St Saviours Church, London N5 |
| Nov 2006 | ‘Piecing It Together’, solo show, The Barsbury, London N1 |
| Nov 2005 | Group show, Candid Gallery, Islington, London N1 |
| June 2004 | Group show, Candid Gallery, Islington, London N1 |
| Jan 2002 | ‘Pin It Down’, solo show, Linden Gallery, Melbourne, Australia |
| Dec 2001 | ‘Nervous Energy’, solo show, West Space, Melbourne |
| Sept 2001 | ‘Time and Place’, solo show, Landau Gallery, Melbourne |
| Jan 2001 | Group show, Landau Gallery, Melbourne, Australia |
| Jan 2001 | Postcard Show, Landau Gallery, Melbourne, Australia |
| Oct 2000 | ‘Clouds of the Mediated World’, Wesley Douvos, Melbourne, Australia |
| June 2000 | ‘Re-map’ Wesley Douvos, Melbourne, Australia |
| July 1999 | ‘La Nina’ group show, Site Simpatico, New York |
| April 1999 | ‘Sake’, group show, ES Vandam Gallery, SoHo, New York |
| May 1999 | ‘Wrestling with Mary Shelley’, group show, Blohard Gallery, Philadelphia |
| Nov 1998 | ‘Ports of Call’, Dean’s Office, NYU School of Education, New York |
| Sept 1998 | ’24 Hours of Cable’, with Paula Stuttman, Rosenberg Gallery, New York |
| July 1996 | Group show, New Hoxton Studios, Whitechapel Open, Hoxton, London |
| Sept 1995 | Group show, New Hoxton Studios, Hoxton, London |
| June 1995 | Group show, City Lit, Business Design Centre, Islington, London |
| April 1995 | ‘Dialogue with De Kooning’, group show, Tate ed dept, RCA, London |
| Dec 1994 | Group show, New Hoxton Studios, Hoxton, London |
| Sept 1994 | Arts Threshold Theatre, solo show, Paddington, London |
| June 1994 | Group show, New Hoxton Studios, Whitechapel Open, Hoxton, London |
Curation
| July 2025 | ‘Something Happened Here’ (co-curator), Asylum Studios Gallery, Bentwaters, Suffolk |
| Oct 2021 | ‘Ground Work’ (co-curator), APT Gallery, Deptford, London SE8 |
| March 2019 | ‘By The Way’, Lewisham Arthouse, London |
| June 2018 | ‘24 hours of everything’, curated with Paula Stuttman, Whitstable Station, Kent |
| Oct 2015 | ‘Things That Are There’, Pie Factory, Margate, Kent |
Theatre Design
| Aug 1993 | ‘A Dance with my Memories’, Arts Threshold, Paddington, London |
| June 1993 | ‘Sex and Violence at the Fantasy Café’, Arts Threshold, London |
| June 1992 | ‘The True Story of Ah Q’, Soho Poly Theatre, London |
| Nov 1989 | Linbury Prize for Theatre Design, exhibition, Royal National Theatre |
Publications
March 2025 ‘Yellow; Form, Light, Liquidity, Air. In Praise of this Mercurial Colour’ included in A Pastel Palette – Reflections on Pastel Colours compiled by Lucy Cade the curator of ‘Quiet. Bright’.