Matthew Alfonso Durante (b. 1975) is a figurative artist based in Los Angeles. Depicting the nude in simple achromatic compositions, he treats skin as a diaphanous form through which is felt the the inner vitality of the human being. Beneath careful gradations of naturally-transparent mediums, such as graphite in drawing, zinc white in acrylic painting and lead white in oil, his red and pink accents become a sign of the life within the figure.
Durante has studied at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art and the New York Academy of Art, where he graduated with an M.F.A. in Painting in 2017. His work has been published in PoetsArtists and Drawing magazine and is in various private collections. Durante has participated in group shows in New York, Los Angeles, Denver and Cincinnati.
Education
2017 M.F.A., The New York Academy of Art, New York, NY2008-2011 Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, Van Nuys, CA2001 B.S., University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MNExhibitions
2021 5 x 5 Project IX, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO DRAWN: 8th Annual International Exhibition of Contemporary Drawing, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH 4th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI (juried by Sergio Gomez)2020 30th Annual Holiday Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO Artists for Artists, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Brand 48 Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, Brand Library & Art Center, Glendale, CA (juried by Dan McCleary) Small Works, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO Drawing Discourse: 11th Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Drawing, University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, NC (juried by William Beckman)2019 29th Annual Holiday Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO 3rd Annual National Juried Exhibition, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wausau, WI (juried by John Dalton) Brand 47 Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, Brand Library & Art Center, Glendale, CA 2019 California Open, TAG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (juried by Ruth Weisberg) 5 x 5 Project IV, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO Hudson Valley Art Association 86th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme, CT Contemporary Figure 2019, Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, CO (juried by Ron Hicks) 53rd Annual National Drawing and Small Sculpture Show, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX SIMILITUDE: An International Exhibit of Works Exploring Portraiture, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH2018 28th Annual Holiday Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO LAAFA Fall 2018 Exhibition, Rebecca Molayem Gallery, Los Angeles, CA The 6th Annual Coaster Show, Gallery 30 South, Pasadena, CA Eight-Year Anniversary Exhibition, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY Emerging, Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Project Space, New York, NY Artspace x New York Academy of Art Alumni Exhibition, Artspace.com (curated by Damian Loeb) MASTER PIECES: An Exhibit of Works by Current & Recent Graduate Students, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH Made in California, City of Brea Art Gallery, Brea, CA DRAWN: 5th Annual International Exhibition of Contemporary Drawing, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH2017 Works on Paper, Dacia Gallery, New York, NY SingleFare, Highline Stages, New York, NY About Face, Southampton Arts Center, Southampton, NY NUDE: Exploring the Uncovered Human Form, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH Perfection to a ’T’, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Transmogrification, Long Island City, NY MFA Thesis Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Giverny Residency Exhibition, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY Tribeca Ball, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY2016 Take Home a Nude, Sotheby’s, New York, NY Tribeca Ball, New York Academy of Art, New York, NY2012 em.bod.y, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA2011 LAAFA Exhibition, The Whole 9 Gallery, Culver City, CAPublications
2019 Anne Hevener, ed. “Strokes of Genius 11 (juried by Steven Assael).” The Best of Drawing, Winter 2020, p. 80.2018 “Meet Some of New York Academy of Arts' Most Talented Alumni Artists (And Browse the Online Exhibition)”, Artspace, July 31, 2018. Clay Sisson, “NYAA Grad Matthew Alfonso Durante on Taking Risks,” Artrepreneur, May 31, 2018. “10th Anniversary Issue: Oranges & Sardines”, PoetsArtists, no. 92 (March 2018)2017 “50 GREAT FIGURATIVE ARTWORKS 2017”, PoetsArtists, no. 89 (November 2017)Awards
2019 14th International Art Renewal Center Salon Finalist2018 13th International Art Renewal Center Salon Finalist 13th International Drawing Annual (INDA 13) Finalist, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH2017 8th International Painting Annual (INPA 8) Finalist, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH Martha and Walter Erlebacher Award, The New York Academy of Art, New York, NY 12th International Drawing Annual (INDA 12) Finalist, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH2016 12th International Art Renewal Center Salon Finalist Terra Foundation for American Art-Europe Residency, Giverny, France 11th International Drawing Annual (INDA 11) Finalist, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH