‘Water Lilies: Silver Streak’

‘Water Lilies: Silver Streak’, 2024

Matthew Lindblad

Oil on Canvas – 36″ x 24″

This work explores the experience of living between two worlds: the disabled world and the so-called “normal” world. The imagery of a stream flowing between two land masses represents this duality. A metallic strip runs down the center of the stream, symbolizing my wheelchair and the path I navigate between these two realms.

Matthew is an artist whose oil paintings serve as a visual autobiography, reflecting his life’s journey and inner experiences. Born in Florida and raised in New York from the age of two, Matthew earned a degree in art history and political science from Fordham University.

Matthew’s art is deeply shaped by his lived experience with cerebral palsy and by the ongoing dialogue between his physical reality and society’s perceptions of disability. Through his work, he invites viewers to engage with his story, cultivating empathy and understanding across diverse experiences.