Roberto Matta

Roberto Matta (Chile, 1911–Italy, 2002) studied architecture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Santiago. He later moved to Paris (1933–1935), where he worked as a draftsman in the studio of Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier and developed a friendship with painter Marcel Duchamp.
In 1936, he traveled to Spain, where he met poet Federico García Lorca and painter Salvador Dalí. At the start of World War II, he relocated to the United States. From 1939 to 1948, he lived in New York City, where he connected with André Breton, Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy, and André Masson.
A pivotal figure in the evolution of Surrealism, Matta also played a decisive role in the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1940s. His early works reflect metaphysical concerns and a deep appreciation for the significance of religious imagery.