MACHAS

MACHAS BRAND NEW: MATTEO BERTON, ILLUSTRATOR

Machas is constantly searching for new talent and when we came across the work of Matteo we knew there was something special about him. The portfolio we saw was compelling yet raw. Each artwork immediately captured the gaze with unexpected prospectives and complex compositions, whilst the use of color was almost instinctual, expressive, underlined by the use of thick brushes and few tighter lines.

Despite starting taking drawing classes only at the age of 18, Matteo posses an interesting mix of works, where branded content sit side by side with book illustrations and concert flyers, proving his hand to be comfortable with a broad range of subjects, from architecture to the human figure, from objects to fantastic creatures.

“My style has changed a lot recently ,” recalls Matteo, ”but there are few things that are a constant in the way I illustrate: first and foremost the attention to composition, which is always of primary importance to me. Other elements are definitely limited palette of colours and the stark contrast of the human figure against the great outdoors —  whether it is natural or urban, I love landscapes as it is an exciting challenge to work out an effective and stylised composition.”

The attention to composition and the dramatic use of the point of view is definitely a distinctive trait of Matteo’s work, “and I think that is because I first started in comics”, suggests Matteo. “I always had a clear idea of the directorial choices I wanted to take and how I wanted to experiment with camera angles and light, as these are the tools I use to guide the viewer to what is important for me.”

Awarded with the 2016’s gold and silver medal of the Society of Illustrators of New York, Matteo has just completed commissions for The New Yorker, Airbnb, Monocle and Wired UK whilst working on illustrating Jules Verne’s book for Italian publisher Mondadori due to release early next year.

See more of Matteo’s portfolio here.