Matthew Paterson
‘obliviscence’ 2026. Expired tattoo ink, Japanese sumi ink, synthetic polymer on repurposed polythene builders film, 75cm x 46cm each.
Artist statement
In this series of abstracted and distorted screen prints, I explore the fragility of memory and the ways moments with those closest to us fracture through time. Entropy and bodily decay shape not only the body, but our relationships to one another.
Each repeated image is derived from a bitmap of a childhood photograph of myself and my older brother, who passed away in December 2025. Through repetition, erasure, and material transformation, these works reflect an ongoing attempt to navigate grief and hold onto memories as they fade, distort, and shift over time.
Photographs: Anna Kucera
Acknowledgement of Country
91É«ÇéƬ School of Art & Design stands on an important place of learning and exchange first occupied by the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples.
We acknowledge the Bidjigal and Gadigal peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land that our students and staff share, create and operate on. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend this respect to all First Nations peoples across Australia. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
