Carlos Mateu Brings 'Geometric Realism' to C2 Gallery

Painter Carlos Mateu on Saturday unveiled his latest exhibit, which will be on display at C² gallery throughout August.

Mateu has been painting for more than 30 years with a style he calls geometic realism.

"I have certain elements where I use curved [lines] or the style is more flexible. Like the sky is mostly more academic. All the soft elements –hair, grass – I use curves. But the main element in the painting is basically what I call my style. Straight lines. So I just play with that for the composition because I don't want to be too mechanical in my style," said Mateu.

The artist uses intense colors of acrylic, applied in layers like silkscreen, creating clean and precise divisions between tones, textured further with oil pastel.

Mateu landed the exhibit after visiting the gallery and its owners, Chip Hunter and Charlie Baker, last March.

"He brought us his book of work and both Chip and I were like, 'We need to have him here.' We love his work," said Baker.

Mateu has already received several offers to buy his work.

In the United States, Mateu has exhibited his work in an extensive list of galleries and art competitions, while continuing to work in design and illustration. Most recently, Mateu was commissioned to create paintings, logos, and murals for various NYC restaurants such as Guantanamera, Havana-Alma de Cuba, Toloache, Agozar, Yerba Buena and Cafe Cortadito.

The artist was born in 1970 in Havana, Cuba, and has resided in the United States since 1997. As a teenager Mateu studied painting, engraving, sculpture, drawing and art history. He later studied mechanical drawing and completed his formal art education at the renowned "San Alejandro" National Academy of Fine Arts.

Carlos Mateu's work will be on display through Aug. 28.