We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mat Ollig. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mat below.

Mat, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

As an artist, my journey has been filled with unexpected challenges, especially after a harrowing incident several years ago where I nearly lost my hand. I was helping my brother with his metal lathe when a 27-inch piece of metal violently whipped out, striking my hand and ripping open the thumb joint. Miraculously, I was holding my phone at that exact moment, and it absorbed the majority of the impact… by bending 20 degrees. In a one-in-a-million chance, I managed to avoid any nerve damage, cut tendons, or broken bones. The ER doctors put everything back, sealed up my thumb, wrapped my hand in gauze, and sent me on my way.

Despite avoiding “severe” physical damage, the impact wreaked havoc on my hand; the equivalent to getting hit with a metal baseball bat. For the next six months, I was unable to hold a brush; a devastating blow for any artist. The road to recovery was arduous, taking nearly a year to re-learn how to paint as the tendons healed amidst scar tissue, imposing new movement limitations. To hedge my bets against the possibility of my injured hand not recovering, I began painting left-handed, and actually completed a few paintings this way. I had to wear a hand brace for two more years, and even now I still experience near constant pain.

One of the most significant challenges I faced during my recovery was that I could no longer paint vertical or horizontal lines due to the trauma and scar tissue the tendons were contending with. Every time I tried to paint a straight line, my hand would involuntarily curve. As a result, I had to practice painting vertical and horizontal lines, leading me to create my “square series” during that period. While this was a creative workaround, I feared that this shift in style might alienate my audience and impact my career.

I decided to face this challenge head-on and be transparent with my audience about my injury and its impact on my art. I shared my story on social media and my website, explaining the difficulties I faced and the changes in my art style. Surprisingly, this vulnerability and honesty were met with overwhelming support and understanding from my followers, which gave me renewed hope and motivation to persevere.

Thankfully, I’m able to paint again in the style I’m known that people have come to love. Though the hand pain persists while I paint, I have learned to manage it; choosing to see it as a reminder of my tenacity. This extraordinary experience has transformed me as both an artist and an individual, igniting a profound appreciation for adaptability and strength in the face of adversity. After all, there is no paint without pain.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

• Can you introduce yourself and give an overview of your background and industry/business/discipline/craft?
I’m a fine art oil painter in NE Minneapolis, Minnesota. I grew up in a small rural town about an hour away from the Twin Cities. As a kid I drew and read books about art, but the rural landscape left much to be desired for a young creative. My formal journey into art first took place at the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Golden Valley, MN. There, amongst my creative peers for the first time in my life, I was able to experience all that the art galleries and museums the Twin Cities had to offer. That experience fueled my passion, and I knew I wanted to become a professional artist.

After Perpich, I enrolled in the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) in Minneapolis. There, I quickly became fascinated by post-modern art and ideas while I developing my painting skills. During my junior year I spent a semester in Florence, Italy studying at the prestigious Accademia di Belle Arti. Immersed in the rich history and techniques of classical art, I found myself intrigued how this ancient city was dealing with the 21st century while embracing centuries of Renaissance tradition.

Upon returning to the United States and graduation, I continued my artistic pursuits and quickly established a reputation for creating captivating paintings. I’m proud to have my paintings included in many notable public and private collections including the Hyatt Regency, Schecter Dokken Kanter, Code42, Ogletree Deakins, BI Worldwide, and the Weisman Art Museum, and I was also awarded the MN State Arts Board Artists Initiative Grants in 2016, 2018, and 2020.

• What type of artworks do you make?

I create MetaModern oil paintings: a term that came about in the mid 2010s to describe the themes I’ve been exploring since the mid 2000s. MetaModernism is a fusion between traditional techniques and styles combined with contemporary ideas and subject matter. Bold, vibrant colors and expressive brushstrokes blend traditional and contemporary styles which seek to move beyond the limitations of post-modernism, and to create a new framework for understanding and engaging with the modern world.

These paintings explore identity and modern society, and the blurred lines between reality, virtual reality, and AI. The distorted, fragmented figures and backgrounds that appear in many of my works reflect the complex and often chaotic nature of modern life, while the overlays of images mimic the process of how we remember.

Despite the sometimes heavy subject matter, my paintings are also filled with energy and playfulness. I never want to forget the utter absurdity of being an oil painter in the 21st century. While we exist in an age where we carry super computers in our pockets with artificial intelligence that communicates with orbiting satellites to access the entirety of human knowledge in a manner the greatest sci-fi novelists never envisioned, I’m just over here with my fuzzy stick smearing oily dirt to make pretty pictures. It’s wondrously ridiculous, and I love every second of it!

• What types of products/services/creative works do you offer to your clients/customers?

Too often, wall art can be sterile, unimaginative, or at the worst: boring. Instead of the typical, mass-produced IKEA wall art, I create paintings that form a catalyst for contemplative solace, self-discovery, and an invitation to engage in profound dialogue. My paintings are fresh, modern, and eye-catching. Sometimes a collector wants a work to fit a specific space, and in those instances I’ll create a custom painting to fit that location. Most collectors are surprised at how easy it is to commission artwork. I also work with several interior designers to help create a space using custom artwork.

• What are the main things you want potential collectors to know about you and your art?

My art is designed to be approachable and viewed by everyone. Nobody is ever left feeling like they “don’t get it”. A collector once told me that they like my artwork because “it makes you want to think, and you feel like there are no wrong answers”, which I still consider to be the highest compliment I’ve ever received.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me personally, it’s the connections I make with people through my art. When people come to my shows or visit my studio, I’m always thrilled to hear them talk about what my artwork means to them. I also love it when they discover the hidden elements I include and discover the meanings I put into the artwork. That’s honestly the most rewarding part of the entire process; seeing collectors and visitors truly appreciate something I’ve invested so my time and effort creating.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Society has so many people that it assumes are needed to thrive: doctors, teachers, lawyers, laborers, etc.. Rarely is it assumed that artists are a core element needed for a thriving society, despite the fact that artists are also architects, designers, musicians, chefs, and entertainers: artists as a group are mostly taken for granted.

We creatives are a different breed than most. Instead of contending with what is, we imagine and create what could be. Creatives and artists are the problem solvers, the innovators, and the story tellers. During the pandemic, it was artists and creatives that entertained us as we were were stuck at home. Art is the one activity that defines us as a species, and despite all the technological advances we make, art can always take our breath away.

The best way to support artists is to buy art, commission artists, go to art shows, work with artists on projects, or just like and share the work of artists on social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MatOllig.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matollig
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matollig/