Pablo Matute

Pablo Fransisco Matute graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2023. Pablo is a visual artist whose work has been displayed in various spaces, such as The University of Nova’s Gallery 217, The Doral Contemporary Art Museum, and Laundromat Art Space. He is a current resident of Laundromat Art Space located in Little Haiti and participates in local residency programs, including Rainbow Oasis (2023) in Allapattah and The Storefront at the Fort Lauderdale Library (2023-2024). Matute received the 2024 Artist Innovation Grant from the Broward Cultural Division, a grant that supports artists in community-engaging projects. 

Collect Bean: What is the kindest thing someone can tell you about your work?

Pablo Matute: I love hearing people tell me my work is different, regardless of whether it's good or bad for me. It reassures me that I’m on the right track with what I’m doing. 

Collect Bean: How do you approach the balance between experimentation and consistency in your art? 

Pablo Matute: I think it's important for artists to explore and push their work as much as possible; I think consistency shows in the evolution of work because you can see remnants of past concepts and ideas within them as opposed to jumping from one thing to another. At the end of the day, to each their own, but this is how I try to nurture my practice.

Collect Bean: What does an ideal day in your studio look like?

Pablo Matute: I usually would get into the studio around 10 am and work until 2 pm, then break for lunch and return to whatever I was working on. I usually have 3 or 4 pieces up at the same time; it helps to not just be fully in on just one piece, giving me a fresh perspective. 

Collect Bean: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Pablo Matute: Relax, everything will come in its own time. 

Collect Bean: What role does art play in society, and how does your work contribute to that?

Pablo Matute: Art serves as a means of interpreting both the positive and negative aspects of the world through different perspectives. What I see may differ entirely from someone else, and that diversity makes art so rich and varied. This is why we see such a wide range of mediums and movements: there are countless ways to interpret the world around us. My work draws from materials and experiences that are deeply personal to me, yet it also resonates universally, creating a connection through shared understanding.