Matthew Couper was born 1976 in Hastings and currently lives in Las Vegas, USA. He graduated with a BFA from the Quay School of the Arts, Whanganui in 1998. Couper began exhibiting in 1999 and exhibits regularly throughout the USA, France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. He has been a finalist in the Visa Gold Art Award (1998) and has been a consistent finalist in the James Wallace Art Awards. His works are held in public collections worldwide. Couper’s recent work reflects his interest in Spanish Colonial art, conflated with capitalist American sentiment found in the playground city of Las Vegas. His work represents a development of ‘cultural currency' within the machinations of corporate America. The work, depicted in various scales and on a multitude of materials, often tackles social and political viewpoints from a recent immigrant’s outsider perspective. Couper’s cast of characters play out a narrative that can be read in a multiplicity of ways.
- https://www.paper-works.co.nz/matthew-couper

MATTHEW COUPER CURRICULUM VITAE
1976 Born Hastings, New Zealand. Currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1998 BFA (Painting) Quay School For Fine Arts, WRCP, Whanganui

COLLECTIONS
Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui
James Wallace Collection, Auckland
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ( Rome and Brisbane embassies)
The Real Art Roadshow Collection
Corey-Helford Collection, Los Angeles, USA
Celia Dunlop Collection, Wellington
Private Collections throughout New Zealand, Australia, USA, Scotland, Britain and Hong Kong

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Thirty-Three. Paul Nache, Gisborne.
The Votive Image (with Tony Lane and Terry Stringer), Mark Hutchins Gallery, Wellington
2008 Travel Log. The Pencil Gallery, Gisborne
It's All About Whanau / Ex Nihilo Sui Et Subjecti. Janne Land Gallery, Wellington
2007 The Museum of Inherent Vice. Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui
Family Ties (Rear Window). Dunedin Public Art Gallery
2006 Myth Maker. The Pencil Gallery, Gisborne
The Luck Creed. Janne Land Gallery, Wellington
2005 Arbroath Devotional. 64zero3, Christchurch
Apotropaia. Janne Land Gallery, Wellington
2003 Hugs and Kisses. Janne Land Gallery, Wellington
2002 New Zealand Art (1958 – 2001). Janne Land Gallery, Wellington
2001 Panoramas and Painted Objects. Janne Land Gallery, Wellington
White Noise. Enjoy Gallery, Wellington

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009 Thrill Me Every Day: The Celia Dunlop Collection. The New Dowse, Lower Hutt
Mind Games: Surrealism in Aotearoa, Hastings City Art Gallery
2008 Maquette 08. Mark Hutchins Gallery, Wellington
Central Column (curated by John Batten). Korkos Gallery, Hong Kong
Skullduggery Rayner Brothers Gallery, Wanganui
The Real Art Roadshow (Silver) Mahara Gallery,
Group Exhibition (with Cookie Treat, Bret Hutchinson and JK Russ). Shannon Webb Studios, Las Vegas USA
2 Degrees. The Pencil Gallery, Gisborne
2007 Tylee Cottage: 21 Years (Artists in residence exhibition). Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui
Real Art Roadshow Exhibition. Mahara Gallery, Waikanae
2006 Tiki Tour, Celebrating the Emblematic Koru and Te Hei Tiki. Whangarei Art Museum
Te Hue Ipu - Artifact and Artwork. Pataka – Museum of Arts and Culture, Porirua
Prologue: The Matthew Couper & Jo Russ Collection. Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui
Her Majesty’s Pleasure. Objectspace, Auckland
Birds. Pataka – Museum of Arts and Culture, Porirua, Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui
2005 Miniatures (curated by James Robinson). Temple Gallery, Dunedin
The Koru Club. Pataka Art Gallery and Museum, Porirua
2004 ROSL Scholarship Exhibition Jerwood Space, London and The Landings Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
Fresh Mahara Gallery, Waikanae
Enjoy Presents…Enjoy Public Art Gallery, Wellington, Room 103, Archilles House, Auckland, High Street Project, Christchurch, Blue Oyster, Dunedin
Henry Sarjeant’s Fine Art Department Store Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui
2003 It’s a Small World. Pataka Art Gallery and Museum, Porirua
2002 The Scale of Things. Mahara Gallery, Waikanae
2000 Three Young Artists. Janne Land Gallery, Wellington
1999 There’s Something Going On. Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui

RESIDENCIES / AWARDS

2008 The 2008 Carey Smith & Co Whanganui Arts Review Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui (Merit Award winner)
The 17th Annual Wallace Art Awards (1st Runner Up Award Winner)
The Adam National Portrait Award. National Portrait Gallery, Shed 11, Queens Wharf, Wellington
2007 Norseweart. The New Zealand Contemporary Art Award 2007 (finalist). Hawkes Bay Exhibition Centre, Hastings
The New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award (finalist). Waikato Society of Arts, The Pavilion, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
2006 15th Annual Wallace Art Awards (finalist)
Sarjeant Gallery Tylee Cottage Residency
2006 Carey Smith & Co. Ltd Whanganui Arts Review. (Highly Commended award). Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui
2005 14th Annual Wallace Art Awards (finalist) Wallace Gallery, Auckland.
COCA, Christchurch. Pataka Art Gallery and Museum, Porirua
2003 12th Annual Wallace Art Awards (finalist). Auckland Museum. Massey University, Wellington
Royal Overseas League Art Scholarship. Arbroath, Scotland
1999 The James Wallace/ Visa Gold Art Awards (finalist)
James Wallace Gallery, Auckland
1998 The Visa Gold Art Awards (finalist) New Gallery, Auckland
The Exchange, Wellington. The Robert McDougall Art Annex, Christchurch

BIBLIOGRAPHY / PAGE ART
2009 Barnett, Gerald. Matthew Couper: The Big Book of Essays (silver truck). The Real Art Roadshow.
Brown, Warwick. Seen This Century, 100 Contemporary New Zealand Artists, Godwit.
2008 Crane, Douglas. 'Matthew Couper’s recent exhibition at the Janne Land Gallery'. Salient Magazine, Monday, March 24
Lister, Aaron. Matthew Couper: The Big Book of Essays (black truck). The Real Art Roadshow.
Trevelyan, Peter, Matthew Couper Studio Interview. The Real Art Roadshow DVD
2006 Nosei, Chuck. 'Carte-Blanche Geneology'. Essay for The Third Degree Pocketbook
Lister, Aaron, 'Kedgley's Flock. Birds at Pataka' Art New Zealand 121/Summer

Walsh, Kristine. ‘Artist ready to take up residency’. Gisborne Herald, Friday August 4
Bryan, Mary. ‘Award for artist-in-residence’. Wanganui Chronicle, Wed August 9
Amery, Mark ‘Trying to get lucky’ The Dominion Post, Friday April 7
Sweetman, Simon. 'An Attempted Explanation of Some Attempts to Explain the Works by Matthew Couper that Form The Luck Creed'
2005 Watson, Aaron ‘Signs and Symbols’ ArtZone NZ Gallery Guide No.8
Corner, Katy ‘Wellington’ Art News Vol.25 No.1 Autumn
2003 McAloon, William. ‘Small but perfectly formed’ Listener, 26 July
2002 McNaught, Josie. ‘For Adults Only’ The Dominion, 25 April
Corner, Katy. ‘Postcards: Wellington’ Art News Winter
2001 Lister, Aaron. ‘Wellington’ Art New Zealand 99 Winter
2000 Loose Magazine. Issue #3 (Noise)
Log Illustrated. Lest We Forget (Issue# 11)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2009 Seen This Century, 100 Contemporary New Zealand Artists. Warwick Brown, Godwit. ISBN 978-1-86962-139-1
2008 It's All About Whanau / Ex Nihilo Sui Et Subjecti. (exhibition catalogue) ISBN: 978-0-9582925-1-1
2007 The Museum of Inherent Vice. (exhibition catalogue). Couper Publishing. ISBN 978-0-473-12883-8
Norseweart. The New Zealand Contemporary Art Award 2007. (exhibition catalogue)
The New Zealand Painting And Printmaking Award (exhibition catalogue)
The Third Degree Pocketbook. Artist's book. Couper Publishing.
ISBN 978-0-473-12059-7
2006 Tiki Tour, Celebrating the Emblematic Koru and Te Hei Tiki (exhibition catalogue) The Whangarei Art Museum
Prologue: The Matthew Couper and Jo Russ Collection (exhibition catalogue) Couper Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-0-473- 11667-5
15th Annual Wallace Art Awards. (exhibition catalogue)
Myth Maker (exhibition catalogue) Couper Publishing. ISBN 0- 473-11208-6
Birds (exhibition catalogue) Pataka Art Gallery and Museum, Porirua
Her Majesty’s Pleasure (exhibition catalogue) Objectspace, Auckland
The Luck Creed (exhibition catalogue) Couper Publishing.
ISBN 0-473-10907-7
2005 The Koru Club (exhibition catalogue) Pataka Art Gallery and Museum, Porirua
Arbroath Devotional (exhibition catalogue) Couper Publishing.
ISBN 0-473-10290-0
Apotropaia (Janne Land Gallery exhibition catalogue) Couper Publishing.
2004 Whiteworld Drawings. An artist book. Couper Publishing.
ISBN 0-476-01269-4
ROSL Scholarship Exhibition ROSL Arts, St James’, London
(in association with Jerwood Space, London)
1998 The Visa Gold Art Awards (catalogue for travelling exhibition