Bio Matthew O’Reilly is a Canadian artist whose practice explores the complexities of identity, figurative ceramics, and the power of satire. His work engages with the grotesque and public statuary to spark conversation and critical reflection. He earned his MFA from the Alberta University of the Arts, where he developed a distinctive visual vocabulary that merges humor with social commentary. His achievements during graduate school were recognized with the First Place NCECA Graduate Award of Excellence in the 2021 NCECA Juried Student Exhibition. Following his MFA, O’Reilly was a year-long artist-in-residence at the Medalta Clay Center in Medicine Hat, Alberta, where he deepened his exploration of the tensions between individuals and collectives. In 2022, he was honored with the Winifred Shantz Award for Ceramics, acknowledging his dedication to exhibition and studio practice. He then further immersed himself in the U.S. ceramics community, undertaking a long-term residency at The Clay Studio of Missoula (2022–2024) while serving as a studio assistant to Casey Zablocki. Currently, O’Reilly is the Residency Arts Technician at the Bemis Art Center in Omaha, Nebraska, where he supports and teaches artists-in-residence and oversees the sculpture studio.
Artist Statement Working between ceramics and sculpture, my studio practice uses the sculpted figure as a launching pad for conversation about the human condition. I am particularly concerned with asking questions about our collective values through the framework of monuments and public statuary. structures. I employ the grotesque in my armoury of satire in order to rupture the boundaries of what we ‘know’. I do this by dissecting the body into distorted fragments that come back together to solicit curiosity and repulsion. I aim to make reflexive work that pushes, pulls, and complicates dialogues around identity. Ceramics, metal working, readymades, paint and plaster processes are used as sites for intuitive investigation of the body.
