Matthew Morpheus: Morphing Reality
Serhii Matveichenko, better known by his artist name, Matthew Morpheus, is a contemporary multi-disciplinary artist from Ukraine. Having lived in Ukraine, then in Israel, and now in the United Kingdom, Morpheus has turned his art into a cosmopolitan dialogue, where each piece is a letter to the world, filled with symbolism and profound meaning. His techniques are a symbiosis of traditional and contemporary, where abstractions created with gel roll pens, fluorescent cosmic landscapes, and collages on current themes become a bridge between reality and fantasy.
How did your creative journey begin?
It must have been Fate. A creative person sees a whole world in any ordinary object. Some will say that it is genius, others that it is a banal childhood. If in front of
you lies an ordinary drawing pencil, but you see not a pencil, but a spaceship, for example, is it imagination or the ravings of a poor artist suffering from schizophrenia? (It's a philosophical question, isn't it?) Since childhood I have been drawn to experiment with different materials and show the world how seemingly incongruous things can be used to create a composition capable of arousing a storm of emotions. A person can display only one emotion on his face fear, joy, sorrow, sympathy. But in the soul of a man is multifaceted. All intertwined experiences, from love to hate, create the most important feeling in the depths of his soul. And its name is
Zero Emotion. And it is this emotion that I try to catch and capture in my works.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Inspiration for my work often comes from the intersection of dreams and reality. The intricate details of everyday life often serve as inspiration for my work,
capturing fleeting moments that often go unnoticed. Talking to fellow artists in the Abandoned Artist Group, of which I am a member, and hearing their perspectivescan also be a source of new ideas. Literature, music and the stories of others can be a source of new ideas and perspectives. I also find inspiration in different
cultures and their artistic traditions, which encourage me to explore new techniques and concepts. Ultimately, I believe that inspiration can be found everywhere,
the key is to be open and receptive to the world around us.
How has your work evolved over the last few years?
I have always loved experimenting with materials. Over the last few years my work has undergone a significant evolution. The forced process of emigrating and
adapting to new life realities has woven new creative elements into my art. I have also started working with digital art. This opened up new avenues of expression
and narrative in my work. Overall, I have moved from more structured, predictable works to those that reflect the transient nature of life.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
Great question. Probably like any artist, a typical day in the studio starts with a giant cup of coffee while I go through my news feed. I like to set the tone for the day by reflecting on the ideas and concepts I explored the day before. I then dive into my work, whether it be digital art, installations, or experimenting with mixed media techniques. With each passing year, I have noticed my art practice becoming more layered. My work began to reflect social and live themes, which became an
important part of my artistic journey. I learnt to use art as a means of self-expression and a way to bring attention to important issues and noticed that over time I became more confident in my decisions and less afraid to take risks. This has helped me to create bolder and more expressive works that reflect my inner
strength.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
The war in my Homeland has had a profound impact on my consciousness and on the choice of materials I am using at the moment. Perceiving a new reality,
moving to a distant country was a profound catalyst that changed my artistic voice. Finding myself in a new land, surrounded by fellow artists who share stories of
loss and rebirth, has deepened my understanding of resilience. Every story I hear, every fragment of beauty amidst the chaos is woven into my work. Personal
experiences of loss and coping have also deeply influenced my work. I began to use symbolism and metaphors in my work to express complex emotions and
experiences. This process became a form of therapy for me and allowed me to create more sincere and profound works. This journey has taught me to embrace
fragility and strength, capturing the ephemeral essence of existence in every piece I create.
How has social media impacted your work?
Social media has greatly expanded my audience. I was able to share my art with people from all over the world, which allowed me to get feedback from art lovers.
Also social media, especially everyone's favourite Instagram, has opened doors to collaborations with other artists and curators. I found opportunities for
collaborative projects and exhibitions, which allowed me to strengthen professional ties and exchange ideas with colleagues. These collaborations have certainly
enriched my artistic experience.
What drew you to your chosen medium?
My fascination with mixed techniques stemmed from a desire to combine different art forms. I started combining different approaches to my art. For example, in
graphics I used only one expensive coloured gel pens, sometimes spending three months on one artwork. It's very labour intensive. In other works I used a combination of spray, fluorescent and standard colours to create multi-layered works. Somewhere it worked, somewhere not so much. But the real recognition and acceptance I received from the public was when I started to use fully digital collage, without the standard techniques of the genre. This allowed me to explore different ideas, creating unique visual stories. This form of creativity allows me to experiment with endless variations and create work that
would be impossible to realise in traditional materials. The digital medium has opened up new horizons for me and I have come to love it for its flexibility and
innovation. My chosen technique - mixed media offers an endless landscape of possibilities. The mixing of materials colours, textures, digital objects reflects the
complexity and chaos of life itself. This allows me to layer stories, emotions and hidden meanings, creating works that feel alive and constantly evolving. Each
person can see a completely different motif in the same painting of mine. My true goal is to utilise the greatest number of human senses visual, tactile, auditory.
That is why my experiments are far from finished.