Dvořák, off the Jupiter pack, is 36"x36" with a 1.75" cradle, acrylic on canvas. The creation of this piece occurred while listening to nothing but Dvořák. "Off the Pack" is a head nod to the use of cannabis. The design that came through is one of a flowing, almost gaseous-like substance that appears as if its Jupiter or a Gas giant— this is indicative of the psycho-emotional state I was in in creating this; there is a weight, intensity, and depth to it, like much of Dvořák’s work. But even within all of that is the power of creation, almost a Yoni, as one observer made. Currently in posession of a private owner
Sols Anvil, 48”Lx36W” 1.75 cradle, acrylic on wood This piece was created in the summer of 2023 after I moved apartments; the building I moved from was peculiar, it just felt weird. This piece came after that, settling into my new place, with Funk and Soul from the 60s-80s pulsating through the air. In effect, one might call it a self-portrait; within it, you might be able to see both ominous and hopeful feelings and perceptions, a grounded weight yet flight.
Primordially Lush 40"L x 30W, 1.75 cradle acrylic, mixed-mediums on wood Made during the end of 2022, and the beginning of 2023, a period of renewal, rebirth, a new job, a new year, and a scheme for a week in the Caribean with the two Jac(k)ies was afoot. Yusef Lateef was a common visitor during this period, “A Love Theme From Spartica” especially so. In looking at this piece, it feels ancient, and old, you might end up lost in a jungle; if you keep moving, maybe you’ll find that temple you’ve been looking for.
A Broken Land, 36”x36”, 1.75” cradle Acrylic on Wood This piece is one part of a larger series of paintings created to Andre 3000s, New Blue Sun, an ethereal flute album through the fall of 2023. A time where the tides of fascism rose and genocide exploded in Palestine (and many other places across the globe), a blood moon, a blood hand, our home, and our land…where are we going?
Every piece is signed as Higgs. Higgs from Higginbotham, Matthew's paternal lineage, a rich history of Civil Rights, liberation, and the struggle of the African Diaspora. Finding meaning, soul, and a people in the attempt to capture and erase those very things.
Higgs is the Higgs Boson, the particle that gives things mass. Without it, all this space and existence would have no mass.
About the Art & Artist
Matthew’s work comes from all his being— from growing up in a justice-focused mixed-race family that celebrated Black art as jazz reverberated through his home. Being autistic, he often finds it difficult to express how he experiences the world. These pieces capture his experience of converging worlds, influenced by his upbringing.
Within these creations, he rejects ideas of destruction and, instead, is infused with his emotional experiences, presenting a radical act of masculine creation during a time when masculinity is used to destroy. His work is also a celebration of Black art. Creating each piece within Black music's vibrant and soulful sound— Soul, R&B, Jazz, Funk, or Hip-Hop. It is a celebration of life, all while we live in a time where the very idea of diversity, his existence, is being targeted, and people are embracing masculinity in its most destructive forms. These works repudiate those notions and ideas, instead embracing their inversion.
In a weighty, abstract expressionist style, using primarily acrylics and exploring oils with bold and intense colors, you will experience profound emotional and human resonance. As much as they are his creations and all that comes from within him, they change with each observer. Explore each shape, color, shade, movement, and layer, reach deep within yourself, and see what reaches out to and from you.