Matias de la Guerra
Matías de la Guerra is an Argentinian artist based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Inspired by his everyday life, simple objects and the colour yellow, he creates works that reflect the intensity of his inner world and personal desires.
If you are interested in Matias de la Guerra’s work, please visit his Instagram.
About:
Matías de la Guerra was born in Salta, a city in the north of Argentina, in 1995. From a young age, he has been interested in photography as a way to express the world around him and his place within it. After years of exhibiting and collaborating with artists locally in Salta, he was accepted into the Arts Program of University Torcuato di Tella in 2019 - one of the most important spaces for contemporary art production and reflection in Argentina. He now lives in Buenos Aires where his practice has expanded to include new mediums.
Matias de la Guerra, Self-Portrait.
De la Guerra can always be recognized from a distance as he is usually wearing a long yellow coat that catches the eye of anyone who comes across him. Yellow is one of the most distinctive colours of the chromatic circle and is not just present in his works but also appears in his everyday life as a symbol of personal identification.
Matias de la Guerra, Linea De Sufrimiento Capilar, extract.
His first solo exhibition Ducha de Lágrimas was shown at the Museum of Fine Arts in Salta, Argentina in 2019 as a video installation in one of its rooms. Filmed in a single shot, the television projected a scene in which the artist’s head was shown in front of a yellow background in the middle of two ladies wearing black outfits with cold expressions on their faces. Matias wore a striking yellow fringed tank top and held a glass vase between his hands. Suddenly, a pair of hands appeared from above and started cutting away at his long, silky dark hair, and he burst into tears as he saw it fall into the vase. Keeping their stony expressions, the ladies attempted to console him by patting him on the back, but nothing calmed him. Adding more drama to the scene, an epic melody that could’ve been composed by Hans Zimmer sounded at the back. Around the room were two large piles of "De la Guerra shampoo,” arranged as if they were on a supermarket shelf. Instead of haircare, they were “shampoos for sadness" that contained tears and strands of hair cut during the performance, which according to the indications on the back of the product, help "to boost sadness, grow emotions, and burst tears." Haven’t you felt that way in front of a hairdresser’s vanity at least once?
As a millennial, Matias is no stranger to utilising social media and Instagram is one of his favourite exhibition spaces. He knows how to publicise his intimate moments in a fun, theatrical way by creating photographs depicting scenes such as drinking coffee with his friends in his kitchen with a peacock perched on his arm, waiting for the bus with Lana del Rey, and taking a bath and drinking beer with Lady Gaga - two of his idols. Matias contrasts his own modest life with the radiance of his imagination tinged with a yearning for more. He furthers the conversation by interacting with his followers and celebrities like Kim Kardashian engage with his posts, drawn to his juxtaposition of drama, authenticity, and aesthetic. By showcasing his personality, wishes, and personal experiences, he perfectly reflects a generation that has grown up surrounded by digital technology and social media.
His works are diverse and range from video installations to photographs to ceramics. In 2021 he was part of the collective annual show of artists from the art program of University Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires, in which he presented an installation made with yellow soaps and ceramic wide-tooth combs connected by thin tufts of thread. His works now belong to various private collections.
It seems that Matias' whole universe is yellow. Throughout his work, the colour is always present, gleaming and acting as the main character. This may be the reason why his work stands out in the ocean of images of the internet - a stopping point in a neverending scroll. But is it the only reason why is his work so striking? There’s something more. As Derek Jarman said, "When yellow wishes to ingratiate, it becomes gold."
Selected Exhibitions
Ducha de Lágrimas, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Salta (MAC), 2019.
Mundos Propios 2019- 2021, Universidad Torcuato de Tella, 2021.
Montserrat Miranda Ayejes
Contributing Writer, MADE IN BED