Artist Matthew Couper exhibits ‘From Dust to Water’

CARSON CITY, Nevada (November 7, 2017) – Internationally acclaimed visual artist Matthew Couper will be exhibiting his work this month in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas.

A New Zealand native who immigrated to the U.S. in 2010, Couper is a recipient of the Nevada Arts Council’s Artist Fellowship in Visual Arts in 2018.

His exhibition, “From Dust to Water” will be shown at the RISE, 241 W. Charleston Blvd., #130, in Las Vegas, beginning with an opening reception and artist talk on Tuesday, Nov. 14.

The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m., with the artist talk scheduled at 7 p.m. The exhibition runs through Nov. 30.

Couper’s paintings incorporate aspects of Western art history. He calls his works “painterly investigations.”

Couper uses the established narrative traditions of art to discuss the space between environmental issues, religion and politics. Art critic John Seed of the Huffington Post recently referred to Couper as an “artist with a Kafkaesque view of the world” whose imagery suggests “a pagan Catholic Cirque du Soleil.”

Couper graduated with a painting Fine Arts degree in New Zealand in 1998. His work has been exhibited in New Zealand, Europe and the United States. Recently, Couper was awarded an “Arquetopia” Artist Residency in Puebla City, Mexico and his work was featured in a large state-wide survey exhibition at the Nevada Museum of Art in 2016 and 2017. He recently completed residencies in France and his work will be part of an upcoming group exhibition at Crypte Musee, Saint Eugiene, Biarritz, France in August 2018.

The Nevada Arts Council’s Artist Fellowship Program was created in 1988 to encourage the pursuit of artistic excellence by providing financial support to Nevada artists. The 12-month fellowships provide artists with time, materials and living expenses, and may be awarded to artists at any stage of their career development. Since the program’s inception, NAC has recognized the work of 222 actors, dancers, choreographers, composers, filmmakers, musicians, photographers, playwrights, poets, sculptors, theater directors, visual artists and writers. By acknowledging outstanding artistic accomplishment, the program promotes public awareness and appreciation of the role of the artist in society.

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