My work explores the possibilities and outcomes of cumulative mark-making as well as the accidental beauty of found objects, detritus, and chance. The slow accumulation of marks—which is a common thread among the majority of my work on paper—transforms a drawing from an image into an object. Despite their flatness, these works operate very differently to the assumed semiological or referential nature of drawing. The time invested in each piece imbues the work with a kind of humanity and the arduous, labour-intensive process returns my focus to the immediate present. In many ways, the work is a meditation on time and a conscious attempt to create something that doesn't participate in our everyday, utilitarian system of meaning and purpose.

Matt Trahan holds a BFA from The University of Western Ontario (2009) and an MFA from The University of Victoria (2012). In 2019, he opened an independent art gallery and project space in Victoria called Empty Gallery, which showcased the work of various emerging and mid-career artists from across Canada before closing in 2021 due to the pandemic. He currently lives and works in Victoria, BC.