Matt Furman is a contemporary painter and cartoonist based in Astoria, Queens, whose practice moves fluidly between oil, acrylic, and digital media with a subversive sense of humor and a sharp eye for emotional nuance. His recurring facial motifs, elastic, expressive, and slightly surreal, serve as emotional barometers for the modern psyche. Whether stretched across a canvas or painted on a pair of sneakers, Furman’s faces absorb the contradictions of everyday life: joy and anxiety, performance and authenticity, stillness and absurdity.
In his paintings, Furman draws from the visual lineage of pop and surrealist art yet refuses to be contained by either. His approach is spontaneous rather than procedural, sketching directly onto canvas in pencil before moving into oil paint, trusting instinct over precision. The result is work that feels immediate and alive, channeling the volatility of emotion through distortion, repetition, and color. Influences such as Kenny Scharf and Wizard Skull infuse his compositions with a sense of mischief, while his own introspection grounds them in sincerity.
He has exhibited across New York City, including All Street Gallery and The Hoxton Hotel. His paintings and cartoons merge humor and vulnerability, creating visual worlds where self-awareness and absurdity coexist.
Currently Exhibiting in: Brooklyn, NY
Web: illvisionart.com
Instagram: @matt.furman27
Featured Artwork at Bushwick Gallery
Title: Red
Year of Creation: 2024
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 22 x 32 in
Edition Type: Unique, 1 of 1
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Price: $1,000
Description
Red is both a study in color and a portrait of feeling, a moment of heat, tension, and vitality distilled into paint. Created as part of a series exploring the psychology of hue, the work radiates immediacy. Furman’s process, unfiltered and instinct-driven, leaves visible traces of its making, allowing each mark to hold its own rhythm. The result is a surface alive with contradiction, playful yet weighty, self-aware yet impulsive.
Through Red, Furman continues his exploration of how emotion can be rendered visible, not as narrative but as presence. It captures the quiet truth of his practice: to paint is to translate the feeling of being alive, one exaggerated feature at a time.
Exhibition Information
Exhibition Title: Vivid Force: The Power of Bold Color
Curated by: Michael O’Malley
Theme: Vivid Force explores the raw energy of bold color, unapologetic, intense, and commanding. From fiery reds to deep blues, this exhibition highlights how color conveys strength, movement, and impact across artistic forms.
Exhibition Dates: November 13 – November 20, 2025
Opening Reception: Thursday, November 13 / 6 PM – 8 PM
Private Showings & Events: Invite-only private showings and events throughout the week.