Matthew Gonzalez is a 24 year old painter and model based in Orlando, Florida. Born in the Bronx, New York and raised in Orlando, he grew up with a fascination in theme parks, astronomy, and the arts. Gonzalez discovered his passion for painting in high school and has since continued to grow his artistic vision for 8 years. 

Inspired by old master paintings, Gonzalez’s paintings center around the hidden side of the human psyche, with themes of the occult, psychology, and religion being prominent. His fascination for these themes grew throughout his high school and college years, where he questioned why such topics could be considered “taboo” or “too dark” to venture into.  He discovered this style of work during his undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida, where he further developed his sense of surrealism and exploration of darkness in both a literal and metaphorical sense. Gonzalez taps into his own experiences and emotions for his compositions, making each work unique to his own life but ambiguous enough to connect to a wider audience.

Gonzalez began his modeling journey in April of 2025, utilizing his knowledge of painting and photography to his advantage. He places an emphasis on beauty through conceptual ideas and emotions. Less is more in his work, where close ups of the human figure and strategic lighting are prominent, along with accompanying shots to further emphasize the emotion.

Gonzalez aims to work with high fashion brands, runways, and galleries in the future and works to bring a new perspective of modeling and photography through a painter's lens.