Pedro Matos is no stranger to EK. Matos was previously featured back in September 2011, December 2010, and August 2010, and we bring him back today in time for his solo show at the Martha Otero Gallery in Los Angeles, California! "Building Castles Made of Sand" May 17 - June 15 Martha Otero Gallery is pleased to present Pedro Matos' first exhibition in Los Angeles, Building Castles Made of Sand featuring a new series of oil paintings on canvas and Azulejo panels - a traditional Portuguese medium of hand-painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tile work. Pedro Matos’ paintings are reminiscent of wheat paste and decollage-like exterior surfaces, layering textures, patterns, figurative subjects, and typography with a combination of trompe l’oeil and accelerated physical deterioration. Influenced by skateboarding, surfing, graffiti, hip hop, punk, and DIY (do it yourself), Matos began working in the public realm. He identifies with the evanescent existence of street culture, the disintegration of society and historical folkloric heritage. Matos uses his various mediums to create an atmosphere of aesthetic decay and ephemerality. With a survey of subjects, historical and contemporarysocietal references, Matos raises questions of subjectivity, arbitrariness, and transience in our cultural value structures and social epistemology. Pedro Matos was born in Santarém, Portugal in 1989. He studied Painting and Art & Heritage Science at the Faculty of Fine Art - University of Lisbon and Ar.Co Art Centre Lisbon before moving to London where he studied at Central St. Martins College of Art and Design and where he currently works and lives. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including The University of Arizona Museum of Art, Philips de Pury, Goss-Michael Foundation, White Walls Gallery and Ivory & Black Soho. Pedro has also given seminars and lectures in Portugal, and worked as a curator in cities such as London, Lisbon, Miami and Atlanta. http://pedromatos.org

Hara Katsiki is a visual artist originally hailing from Greece who expresses her creative vision across various types of media ranging from drawing, painting, graphic design, animation, and music. I encourage everyone to check out her Tumblr page to give her music a listen. http://harakatsiki.com http://djharakatsiki.tumblr.com

Mizenscen is an illustrator/digital collage artist based out of Los Angeles, CA who cuts & pastes obscure anatomic layers fused with flora in a vintage, classic touch. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mizenscen/