Interview with fine artist Fabian Matz

When we discovered the work of Switzerland based fine artist Fabian Matz, we knew immediately we had a lot in common. Matz's main medium? Tights. Matz has an uncanny ability to manipulate sheers in unique ways we’ve never seen before. Contorting the tights in unexpected ways to highlight the intimate and erotic history of tights in an elegant manner. We had the pleasure of asking Matz a few questions about his work and practice and of course, tights.  

Can you tell us about the juncture in time when you decided to pursue a career as an artist?

My interest in handcraft, design and art began in my childhood through the influence of my grandparents and parents who had a great passion for creating. With my apprenticeship as a media designer and my studies in art and education, my artistic activity gained in intensity. After graduating with a Bachelor's degree from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, I launched my "nylon universe" under the brand "atelier fabian matz - studio for elastic states".

What kind of an artist do you generally see yourself as?

I call myself a mixed media artist. I work with nylon hosiery made of polyamide fibres and create works in different techniques and media: objects, sculptures, installations, video, photography and graphic-based pieces.

What do you want your art to convey to those who see it? What is the meaning or creative motivation behind your work?

The focus is on intensity and the playfully experimental approach to a garment that has been world-famous for several decades, making many a leg look even more beautiful. Through the processing and the use of epoxy resin, the fine yet very strong synthetic fiber fabric appears in a form that can make a connection to the human and/or animal being. The bizarre and absurd has something attractive and at the same time repulsive. I like this contrast very much.

Can you tell us about the process you use to create your unique works? What is your typical workday routine?

Many works have a longer process behind them. Working with epoxy resin requires a long preparation. Some works and working methods I developed also inspired each other. Spontaneous actions also arise in the studio. Material, images in my mind and the spontaneity finally create a visual form of my work. Sometimes I work on several projects in parallel. There is no typical working day. The intensity of the work can also vary greatly. In the warm summer months, I prefer to sweat outside in the fresh air. In the cooler spring, autumn and winter months I prefer to sweat in the studio or at the computer to do my administrative work (archive, social media, website, portfolio, etc.).

Coffee or tea?

Both - coffee in the morning, tea in the evening

How do you find inspiration? Do you ever struggle to stay motivated and creative?

As already mentioned, the intensity of work can vary greatly. It depends on whether an exhibition project is being planned or whether I am creating a serial work, for example. I very often work in a multidisciplinary way. This means that some works and projects are not finished and published. These need more development time. Because of the change of media in my work, every now and then something completely different emerges than I had imagined at the beginning. This makes my work very versatile. It also allows me to develop my work further and bring it into a form that can be viewed in different ways: offline and online. The mediation through photography and video of the working process is also very important to me and I present it in the same way as my art pieces.

What has been your most proud achievement to date?

That I can visualize many qualities of my personality and character through the artworks and thereby experience interesting conversations with many people and many friendships develop.

What are you working on now, and what can we expect from you soon?

I am starting a collaboration with Julia Bajanova, fashion designer from Berlin, and bring our common interest for fine, transparent textiles. At the moment, we can't say what the result will be. We will let ourselves be surprised.

When do you feel most beautiful?

When the morning sun wakes me up through the window in my bedroom and the birds in the trees sing as accompaniment to start the day with joy.