Statement
Rene Matić (b. 1997, Peterborough) is an artist currently working in London. Their work explores the immeasurable dimensions of Blackness through the lens of their own personal experiences as a queer, Black womxn living in the diaspora. In doing so, Matić aims to expose, combat and question the power relations that pervade the art world and society more widely.
Matić’s current work predominantly explores the Skinhead movement, its founding as a multicultural marriage between West Indian and white working class culture and its subsequent co-option by far right white supremacists. They use this as a metaphor to examine their own experience of living in the Black British diaspora and also to excavate white jealousy, the continued legacy of colonialism and the fear of a Black planet - all things which find convergence within and upon their mixed race identity.
Working across painting, sculpture, film, photography and textile, Matić’s work attempts to bring to light (or dark) the fated conflicts and contradictions that one encounters while navigating the world in a body like their own.
Education
BA Fine Art, Central St Martins, 2017 - 2020
Readings
2020 And Mum, Rile Space, Brussels
2019 Urban Space and Queer Subcultures, Autograph ABP, London
2018 How to Sleep Faster, Arcadia Missa, London
Publications
2020 If I Was Your Boyfriend, Fem Press
2020 Saving Ourselves, Polyester Zine
2019 Interjection Calender, Montez Press
2019 How to Avoid Being Attacked, self published
2019 Body Politić, Shades of Noir
2018 How to Sleep Faster, Arcadia Missa
2018 Crack magazine X Fred Perry Zine
2018 Polyester Issue 8
Shows
2020 Friends and Friends of Friends, Schlossmuseum, Linz, curated by Oli Epp and Aindrea Emelife
2020 Bloomberg New Contemporaries, South London Gallery, chosen by Alexandre da Cunha, Anthea Hamilton and Linder.
2020 Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Digital Platform, chosen by Alexandre da Cunha, Anthea Hamilton and Linder.
2020 London Grads Now, Saatchi Gallery, London,
2020 Sounding Off 2.0, Vitrine Gallery Digital, curated by William Clarke and Alys Williams
2020 Bold Tendencies, London, curated by Hannah Barry and Charlie Mills
2020 we give a lead to britain (solo), digital exhibition, Arcadia Missa curated by Rozsa Farkas
2019 Lesbiennale, 4:3, digital exhibition, curated by Nadine Ahmed and Naeem Davis
2019 BBZ Alternative Graduate Show, Copeland Gallery, London, curated by Deborah Joyce Holman
2019 G.U.T.S, Ugly Duck Gallery, London, curated by Ellie Pennick
2019 In Memory of Naomi Hersi, Atrium Gallery, London, curated by Chad Ndebele and Maria João Tralhão Dolan.
2018 Baby Look After Yourself (Solo), Protein Studios, London, curated by Maggie Matić
2018 LDN WMN, The Black Cultural Archives, London, curated by Tate Collective
2018 My Chain Hits My Chest, Attic Space, Nottingham, curated by Agil Abdullayev
2018 Life and Death, Cloud and Horse, London, curated by Ione Gamble
2018 Feeling Pink Like My Insides, Hume Gallery, Chicago, curated by Ken Folk
2017 Riot! Riot! Riot!, Protein Gallery, London, curated by Sophia Tassew
2017 If We're Going to Heal Let it Be Glorious, The Royal Standard, Liverpool, curated by Black Blossoms
2016 Mrs September, The White Pube, digital residency
