Matthew Szczepanowski
Biography
Matthew Szczepanowski was born in 1953 amid the wreckage of post-war Warsaw, Poland, and grew up under the oppressive political conditions of Soviet rule, but neither the scope of destruction left by the war nor the specter of authoritarianism were able to dampen his internal convictions regarding freedom and beauty, instincts he nourished through his artistic talents.
After earning an M.F.A. in painting from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland, he earned his certification in Art Conservation, working in Princely Czartoryski's famed Pulawy Palace. In 1976 Matthew fled the Soviet Bloc with his wife and 2 children, escaping first to North Africa, then onto Austria, and eventually immigrating to the United States in 1981. In 1983 he settled in Philadelphia and founded the Conservation Studio for Art(www.conservationart.com), which allowed him the opportunity to both create his own original art and dedicate himself to the preservation of existing objects of beauty.
Through the years Matthew has exhibited in numerous galleries across Europe and North America, continuing to explore in painting and sculpture the expression of individual identity amid the confusion of the modern world. Ever evolving stylistically while simultaneously jumping between painting, sculpture, and mixed media, Matthew remains true to expressing his aims.
matthewSZart.com