Bio
Matt Bahen is an artist living and working in Toronto. Since graduating the Ontario College of Art and Design in 2002, Bahen has been exhibiting his work consistently in Toronto, and has shown his work in New York, Alabama, Alberta and Massachusetts.
His work addresses themes of war, conflict, history and compassion. Bahen’s approaches his subject through oil paintings of a human scale, applied with a thick impasto emphasizing the visceral quality of the delivery and subject.
Bahen’s most recent body of work “Run with the Hunted” deals with these themes and brings them back to landscape painting, the most quintessential of all Canadian art forms.
The landscapes contain a quiet dissonance and are inhabited by animals, representing characteristics of human archetypes. This is an effort to enable the viewers to find themselves in the painting, to be part f the landscape, to recognize themselves as individuals capable of compassion.
CV
Solo Exhibitions
2010
- Run with the Hunted, Moore Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2008
- The River, Moore Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2007
- Marlow, Moore Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2006
- God and Country, Hampden Gallery University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts
- No Picture, le. Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2005
- Straw Dogs, Moore Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2004
- Fatal Surveillance, A Space, Toronto, Ontario
2002
- Run with the Culture Gun, S.P.I.N. Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
- Terminal Playback, Gallery 401, Toronto, Ontario
2001
- The Raphaels’ Annual Extravaganza, Toronto, Ontario
- Direct Access, Gallery 401, Toronto, Ontario
Selected Group Exhibitions
2010
- Merge, Art Gallery of Ontario art rental and sales gallery, Toronto Ontario
2006
- God and Country, Harcourt House, Edmonton, Alberta
- Winter Show, Moore Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2005
- Summer Show, Moore Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2004
- ARC, Festival for Human Rights in Canada, Toronto Ontario
- Summer Show, Moore Gallery, Toronto Ontario
- Mix Magazine Show, Mind Control, Toronto Ontario
- A Space Windows, Collaboration with John Scott, A Space, Toronto Ontario
- New York Art Expo, New York, New York
- Thought Crimez, London Fog Building, Toronto, Ontario
- Thought Crimez, Zero to One, Kitchener, Ontario
- Gallery Artists, Moore Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2003
- Team Apocalypse, Project for C magazine summer 2003 issue
- Alabama International Art Fair, Birmingham, Alabama
- Drawing Attention, S.P.I.N. Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
- The Annual Nervous Breakdown, Zero to One Gallery, Kitchener, Ontario
- Toronto Social Forum, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario
2002
- Collaboration – The 3rd Montreal Biennale John Scott & Team Apocalypse, Montreal, Quebec
- T.I.A.F. (3rdToronto International Art fair), Metro Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario
- H.Y.P.E. (Graffiti Artist), Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
- Juggernaught Cocktail, Angell Gallery Toronto, Ontario
- Annual Graduate Exhibition O.C.A.D, Toronto, Ontario
- Go West, S.P.I.N. Gallery (in conjunction with O.C.A.D./ Thesis Exhibition), Toronto, Ontario
2001
- And Infinite Justice for All, Art System, Toronto, Ontario
- A Dark Wave, Art System, Toronto, Ontario
- Mini Me, S.P.I.N. Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
- Hell in a Rain Slicker, the O. C. A.D. Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
- The Annual Figure Drawing and Painting Exposition, Atrium Gallery Café, O.C.A.D., Toronto, Ontario
- Bodies of Artifice, Atrium Gallery Café, O.C.A.D., Toronto, Ontario
2000
- Triptych, Atrium Gallery Café, Atrium Gallery Café, O.C.A.D., Toronto, Ontario
- Testosterone: The Man Show, Art System, Toronto, Ontario
- Utopia A.D, Art System, Toronto, Ontario
- The Annual O.C.A.D. Student Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
Awards
2002
- O.C.A.D. – Figure Drawing + Painting Award
2001
- The Hungarian Helcion Society Scholarship of Excellence in Drawing and Painting
2000
- The Sully Corth Memorial Fund Scholarship
Publications
2010
- Arkylic,com, Randy Gladman, Matt Bahen at Moore Gallery, April 28, 2010
2008
- The Globe and Mail, Gary Michael Dault, Gallery Going, December 20, 2008
- Phil Irish.com, Unspeakable History Painting, Phil Irish, December 16, 2008
2007
- The Globe and Mail, Gary Michael Dault, Gallery Going, March 17, 2007
2006
- Canadian Art, Sally Mckay, “Matt Bahen Le. Gallery Toronto”, Summer 2006, Volume 23 Number 2
- Globe and Mail, Gary Michel Dault, “Matt Bahen at Le Gallery”, February 11, 2006
2004
- Bits, Tomo Lennon, “Fatal Surveillance”, May 18, 2004
- Globe and Mail, Gary Michael Dault, “Predator Prey and Sensuous Paint”, May 22, 2004
- Mix Magazine, Artist Profile, Spring Issue
- Shift Japan, www.shiftjpg.org, Mickey Richardson, Thoughtcrimez
2002
- NOW Magazine, “Best Show of the Year” (Best Art Space- S.P.I.N. Gallery) October issue
- CBC Evening News, (Artist Profile) – < “Juggernaught Cocktail” >, July
- NOW Magazine, Thomas Hirschman, <“Juggernaught Cocktail”>, August issue
2001
- The Ottawa Sun, Becker, Jeannie, “The Military in Fashion”, July 24, 2001
2000
- The National Post, Buttery, Helen, “Art with a Message”, February 24, 2000
- Catholic New Times, Jalonen, Dean, “Arts and Culture”, October 21, 2000
Collections
- Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Ontario
- The Canadian National Landscaping Association Head Office, Milton, Ontario
- Mural – North West Corner of College and Borden in collaboration with Steve Driscoll, Toronto, Ontario
- Private Collections
Lecture / Artist Talk and Related Experience
2005-present
- Guest lecturer, Faculty Fine Art, Ontario College of Art and Design
2004
- Teaching Assistant Advanced Drawing at Ontario College of Art and Design
2003
- Class Assistant for at Ontario College of Art and Design, Faculty of Art
2001
- Introduction Statement for Hello, A solo exhibition by Sakis, Moore Gallery, Toronto
2000
- Guest Lecturer, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Guelph
- Internship – Wynick /Tuck Gallery, Toronto, Ontario