Carlos Matallana
CV
Statement
My body of work implies two well defined means, political criticism via illustration; and civic empowerment by virtue of New Media workshops, this last one with special attention to social interactions, bridge generation, and civic engagement.
My illustration tool is ink/pen on paper, I rely on high contrast and its expressionism qualities. Rather than portraits I prefer to illustrate my characters, standing or in movement revealing attitudes and feelings through posture or even clothing. Although my illustrations are not faceless their positions allows the reader to see a hint of face revealing nothing but glasses or a nose, a raw universality of the human dressed body.
Comics conveys my working experience, passion fo inking and research in complex issues such as Violence, Urbanism, Financial, Housing and Art which motivates me to question my position as a father, educator and artist, then challenge the audience to reflect about their role in a complex-rich urban society as Chicago.
Up and coming
Living Architecture at 6018 a timely, large- scale multidisciplinary exhibition that showcases Chicago's exemplary contemporary immigrant artists.
Conversations. Podcast where guest artists pick a random topic to talk about. Chicago, USA. 2018
CPS Lives. Invited artist to develop the Blok by Blok podcast program within the CPS schools. Ongoing since 2017.
Past
Brea Book Release October 2017 at Build Coffee and May 2018 at the Hyde Park Art Center.
Blok by Blok Podcast Program. A project that provides Chicago youth with tools to develop their own Podcasts. Ongoing since 2017.
Manual of Violence -Comic Book- Research, Writing and Illustration. First Installment Brea released October 2017.
Project Exploration Chicago
Robotics & Science Program Developer. Chicago’s branch of the GoIT national wide campaign.
Finding Prospect in Myth. Curatorial Practice, June 2015.
The Anger Games takes place in any modern metropolis where Utopian perspectives often ignore residents reality. The Game reviews our economic system’s claim that resolves social problems while appraising natural and humans resources from which it derives profit. Along those lines, players would rediscover how urban environments challenge social norms, regulations, laws, customs and taboos, therefore challenging current
social entities.
Honors
CPSlives Artist/Project sponsored Blok by Blok.
DCASE (Year of Public Art Grant 2017) Blok By Blok Podcast project.
Visual Arts Certificate, University of Chicago.
Appointed as Cultural Agent of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, 2016.
DCASE (Individual Artist Grant 2015) Editorial development of the Book Manual of Violence. DCASE (Individual Artist Grant 2013) Research of the Comic Book Manual of Violence.
Hyde Park Art Center Program Artist 2015.
Chicago Artist Month 2014 -Grant-. Featured Project The Anger Games.
Two Forum/Discussion Violence as a Subject Matter within the Chicago Artist Month 2013. First time a forum was included in the programming of the Chicago Artist Month.
Press