Troy native Matt Cremeans spent the last ten years residing in Las Vegas, where he built a dynamic art career. Known for his vibrant, abstract method that he describes as contemporary street art, Matt is now back home in Miami County, bringing with him his colorful style and a unique perspective on what it means to be an artist.
Pipe welder by day and artist by night, Matt graduated from the Hobart School of Welding in Troy, following in his father’s footsteps. He then moved to Las Vegas in 2016 during a difficult period in his life. What began as a fresh start in sobriety became the catalyst for an unexpected creative career. Initially, he worried that creating art without drugs might change his creative process. Instead, he found the opposite to be true: his work became stronger, and he realized he was a better artist sober.
As he settled into life in Vegas, Matt began painting more seriously and sharing his work on Instagram where he started gaining attention in the art community, eventually leading to gallery opportunities with Ikon Homes Gallery, Desert Valley Gallery, magazine features, commissions, and recognition within the Las Vegas art community. His first big opportunity was becoming a top ten finalist in the Made in Vegas Art Competition, which led to his work being in the Park West Gallery inside Caesars Palace. That experience made Matt feel, for the first time, like a “real artist” and helped him realize that what had always been a passion could become something more.
Growing up, Matt was surrounded by creativity. His mom enjoyed painting landscapes, while his dad painted custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles. As a kid, Matt drew pictures of interiors, fireplaces, and other perspective-based pieces. Even from a young age, Matt was fascinated by perspective and the way a two-dimensional drawing could appear three-dimensional. He remembers being a rebellious student who often became bored in school, constantly drawing during class. Over time, those doodles, shapes, and lines evolved into the distinctive style he creates today.
Matt describes his work as contemporary street art, drawing inspiration from graffiti as well as artists like Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky, both of whom he has tattooed on his arms. Like the artists who inspire him, his paintings are bold, vibrant, and filled with movement.
While he’s known for his colorful pieces, Matt prefers to keep his personal style neutral, wearing black, casual clothing. He has no interest in playing into the image of what an artist is “supposed” to look like. He doesn’t like the business side of art, choosing to let his art speak for itself.
Working with spray paint, paint markers, watercolor, acrylic, and other mixed media, Matt creates everything freehand. There are no projectors or templates guiding the composition, just the lines, shapes, and ideas that develop as he works. In fact, he never knows how a piece will turn out until it’s done.
“I don’t know how a painting is going to come out. My art takes its own form.”
When it comes to creating, Matt admits that his art often reflects where he is mentally and emotionally at the time. He describes it as a mental purge, a way to take his thoughts, emotions, and experiences and translate them onto the canvas. His experiences with addiction, recovery, anxiety, and mental health have all influenced his work, and he is open about wanting to use his art to advocate for both mental health and recovery.
“We are human, we are going to pass. My paintings won’t outlast time, but they will outlast me, and knowing that is a way of getting past impermanence.”
From commemorating a loved one who has passed to highlighting someone’s prized car or favorite sports team, Matt is open to commissions and has done several based on a variety of subjects. He often incorporates personal details, meaningful imagery, nostalgic references, logos, and photographs connected to the story behind the painting. He has shipped pieces across the U.S., as well as places like Austria, Nepal, and Lagos, Nigeria.
When it comes to what Matt loves about Miami County, it’s the people. In fact, being able to spend more time with his family played a big part in why he chose to return to the area. After years away, he appreciates Miami County’s slower pace of life and the fact that he can spend more time with the people who matter most. These days, that means spending time with his family and even sitting down to play cards with his grandma.
If you would like to contact Matt for more information about his artwork or to commission a piece, you can reach out to him via Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mattycremeans_art or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/matt.cremeans.75.
