Artist Statement
I am an artist with over forty years of experience creating a range of figurative artwork. My portfolio includes works on paper and canvas. Though I am primarily known for my sports figures, I create work that features people from different walks of life. My approach to art making is to create a realistic representation of my subjects. I like to include dramatic movement in my artwork, and I favor rich colors. The eyes tend to be the focal point of my work, revealing personality, sadness, joy, fear, tension, paranoia, and beauty. I try to communicate something to the viewer through my art. I want people to connect with the work on a personal, intimate level, and I want to evoke emotion and feelings. There is pride, history, and identity embodied in my work, and these characteristics allow my art to transform a space. My hope is that my work will make the viewer think as they walk by it, and that they will take whatever they need from the composition in that moment. -Darryl Matthews

Artist Bio
Darryl Matthews is a native of Newark, New Jersey. From an early age, art was his refuge, and he was inspired by the images he saw in the comic books that he read. Matthews attended the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art and is best known for his highly detailed paintings of sports figures and musical artists. His work creates narratives about American culture and provides a lens for viewing the nation’s complex history. In 2022, Darryl was commissioned by the Buck Leonard Association to create seven original color paintings of baseball legends Martín Dihigo, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, Buck O’Neil, Tony Perez, Joe Staton and Ben Taylor. These paintings are now on permanent display in the Buck Leonard First Baseman's Hall of Fame located at the Imperial Centre for the Arts & Sciences in Rocky Mount, NC. Matthews was part of the art communities in New Jersey and California before settling in North Carolina where he continues to live and work today.