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Hidden Terrains by April Matisz           January 10th-February 21st, 2026

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Artist Statement

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Through collage, painting, and drawing, I create curious and dreamy landscapes that highlight biological diversity and evoke an otherworldly sensibility. Simplified human-like figures occasionally appear, interacting with their environments in subtle and ambiguous ways. Ceramic objects accompany these landscapes, adding a playful, tactile dimension. These objects function as sculptural extensions of my two-dimensional works, expanding narrative possibilities and deepening my exploration of how we relate to our environment.

 

My work examines how human evolutionary history, psychology, and Western thought shape the way we understand ourselves and the world. Although contemporary life feels far removed from our ancestral environment, our bodies, desires, and dreams remain informed by deep environmental entanglements. I explore the tension that results from the radically changing environments we find ourselves navigating. I seek to imagine future narratives that take place in a vibrant, life-affirming landscape.

 

Artmaking is how I come to understand what it means to be in/with the world. Working with materials allows me to think through scientific and experiential knowledge simultaneously. Seeing, thinking, and materialising unfold together, generating a kind of knowledge unique to art. My process is a kind of reciprocal muddling: I respond to the materials, and they respond to me. Through intuition and observation, unfamiliar and unexpected ideas emerge. This openness—to receive what materials offer—is essential to my practice and to the viewer’s experience. Through my work, I foster this receptive attitude and invite viewers to imagine new relationships with nature and with one another.

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Biography

 

April Matisz is a contemporary artist based in Lethbridge, Alberta, whose multidisciplinary practice spans painting, drawing, collage, and ceramics. Through her work she examines how evolutionary history, psychology, and Western thought inform our perceptions of ourselves and the living world. She weaves in personal and cultural experiences of motherhood, grounding her inquiries in both scientific and embodied knowledge.

 

Matisz holds an MFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design (2023), a BFA (Art) from the University of Lethbridge (2009), and a BSc in Biology from the University of Victoria (2005). Her process is rooted in intuitive, reciprocal engagement with materials, allowing ideas to emerge through close attention and a receptive attitude. She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including the Mackenzie Award in Painting from Emily Carr University of Art + Design and two Alberta Foundation for the Arts grants. Her work is held in public and private collections, including the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and has been exhibited across Alberta and in Puerto Rico, with exhibitions at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (Lethbridge), the Esplanade (Medicine Hat), and Obra Galería Alegría (San Juan).

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