Art & Libations 101

Meet Artist Matthew Treumun as he closes his exhibit, "Midnight Lust".

Enjoy an intimate Paint and Sip experience with complimentary drinks from and get to know the artist as he talks about his background, experience, art techniques, and discusses his art works. Open Q&A and discussion for attendees.

Any Level of art skills welcome to paint as we will have instructors to assist!

Prepped canvas, beverages, and supplies included.

Artist Statement

Mathieu Treumun was born Miami, Florida in 1993 and received a BFA in Graphic Arts from Florida

International University in 2017. He interned for The Art Experience, a luxury art tour company based in

Miami, and has curated for multiple contemporary art museums and international art events, most

recently Art Basel. His pursuit for creating graphic art across different industries led him to DC in 2018.

His admiration for art and creativity began in his childhood, learning from his father who created

woodwork for a carpentry company, and his mother who is a master seamstress and has created décor

for luxury houses for nearly 25 years. Having lived in Europe for 5 years, he has been markedly inspired

by the classical art he was introduced to when touring museums in Italy, France, and Germany.

Living in DC has brought new life to his artistic career. Being able to explore so many different art

museums has motivated him to produce more personal artwork, which has ultimately led to this current

series of paintings.

The reality of existing in the world throughout the COVID pandemic has been isolating for us all. It has

voided us of the ability to participate in fundamental interactions that we would never have expected to

lose. The simplest thing like a friendly hug or a proper handshake has become an uncomfortable thought

and unlikely experience. We are losing our sense of human touch and seeing the effect it has on our

frame of mind. When creating this collection of paintings, he wanted to express our innate want and

need for human touch -- to reflect on the current times of not being able to fulfill those desires.

“Midnight Lust” speaks to an audience that has been limited to only be able to use their memory in

times when they crave the affection of their significant other, but that desire for human touch persists.

It’s funny what our mind remembers when separated from an object, place, or person. Depending on

the Individual, memory can be vivid or can be spotty, but for everyone, memory is a source of joy, pain,

and pleasure. “Midnight Lust” taps into these sentiments and creates a visual depiction through

perceived body language and long thick paint strokes of neutral colors, gold, and black with gaps of

white canvas piercing through. The neutral colors are reminiscent of the human skin that we long for so

vehemently; the gold paint highlights only the most favorable body parts, the black creates the shadows

cast by the curves of the body, and the white fills in the spaces our mind can’t recollect.

The different strokes created by the painting knives mimic the lucid memories we create in our mind.

Each swift stroke contrasted by a jagged stab at the canvas, creating layers and valleys that come

together to depict a scene of Lust. As the painting knife presses onto the canvas spreading the thick

acrylic paint, applying a skin-like texture to the void background, the swirls of overlapping paint create

the contour of the human body. The essence of these paintings stems from the sentiment of being

deprived of human touch and the disconnect it creates in our longing for the nurturing that comes from

being in the arms of someone you love and lust for.

Event Venue

52 O St NW, 52 O Street Northwest, Washington, United States