Mattia Biagi’s recent body of work has for distinctiveness the constant, yet perpetually evolving use of tar as a main medium. Mattia distorts objects. He transforms and elevates them. He takes them away from their primary functionality or nature. He brings up to us a deeper nature of theirs… The artist has this subtle and wise look of a child that invites us to look at these objects from another perspective, his singular one. Elaborately, he selects objects or art pieces that he connects with and ‘tars’ them, personalizes them. Mattia plays, he has fun. The initial inspiration came from his first visit to the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles . He immediately had a visceral reaction to the tar itself as a natural element. Entranced by the texture of the mysterious tar substance bubbling up from the ground. The juxtaposition and overlapping illustrations of an earthy and natural element, and the modern urban environment have transcended him.

“I am drawn to the medium of tar for it's texture, it's rich black color and it's sexiness. The drips and imperfections creating a new skin and depth to whatever it touches.
Indeed the tar does not want to be controlled but it can be manipulated. It physically changes whatever it touches. It has long lasting repercussions due to its permanence. My first exploration using tar as a medium was a series of tar-dipped teddy bears. The combination of such a dramatic looking ingredient (tar) and the innocence of the stuffed teddy bear resulted in a loaded and charged image. Sensual aesthetic, suffocation, maternal cocoon and childish feelings, fantastical nightmare, etc. were all evoked with this first series.” Mattia Biagi
Hurricane Katrina moved Mattia deeply, as it has moved all of us. When the natural environment takes over, putting our life in danger and destructing the material elements of our human made environment, we are awestruck. Driven by this wonder at that time, Mattia has expressed his concerns and thoughts through the Tar Design series; the “Tar House”. Tar is nature. The Tar movement overtakes, overlaps, and transforms the initial functional object into an un-functional object; which has for only function to transport a message through a singular aesthetic code.
Added to this core message comes along the question of “Time”: Mattia’s pieces had a life before and they still live as the Tar evolves along. “Nations, human beings and possessions are temporary. It has been my goal to illustrate this and to further the dialogue about serious and relevant topics with my medium, tar.”
Mattia Biagi

Mattia’s work is Peter Panesque; it is playful and sense bearing. It evokes the set of an imaginary world, a fantastical satyr of here below, and a unique aesthetic linguistic. “The TAR Collection” originates from Biagi’s childhood obsession with dipping cookies into milk and has grown to the grim 21st century and its sociological model… Welcome to the fantastical world of ‘Mattia and the Tar Factory’

Solo Exhibitions
ANNA KUSTERA GALLERY -- New York, 2008
DEBORAH PAGE GALLERY -- Santa Monica 2007
TWENTIETH ART GALLERY -- Los Angeles 2005
DAO ART DESIGN -- Los Angeles CA 2005
CAPPELLINI ART DESIGN -- Los Angeles CA 2004
FLOU -- Los Angels CA 2004
DZINE ART DESIGN -- San Francisco CA 2004
LA CONCERIA ART GALLERY -- Milan IT 2004
MARCONI ART GALLERY -- Bologna IT 2004

Selected Group Exhibitions
ART BASEL -- Miami, Fl 2007
THE BLACK MARKET SHOW -- AnnaKustera gallery N.Y 2007
HIGH AND DRY, SMOKE AND FOG -- Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles 2007
OBJECT ROTTERDAM -- Rotterdam, NL 2007
SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY -- Shippensburg, PA 2007
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY -- Texas, TX 2007
HARPER COLLEG -- Palatine, IL 2007
RED DOT -- New York, N.Y 2006
PATRICIA FAURE GALLERY -- Bergamot Station- Santa Monica, CA 2006
GHETTOGLOSS -- Silver Lake, CA 2006
ART BASEL -- Miami, FL 2006
ROSE GALLERY -- Venice Beach, CA 2005
DON O MELVENY GALLERY -- Los Angeles CA 2005
ART WALK LACMA MUSEUM -- Los Angeles CA 2005
ART GALLERY OF LUCA -- Florence IT 2003
MAFFI GALLERY -- Rome IT 2003