A conversation with Matt Dosa

Monday 29, 2025

Matt Dosa is a North London-based abstract artist working across various mediums - paint; sculpture; print and large-scale murals. His bold, playful aesthetic reflects the energy of the city he's called home for over three decades.

Tell me about the most interesting sofa you've ever known...

"I once went to a rave in an old TV props warehouse. One room was packed with crazy sofas - including a whole collection of those iconic lip-shaped ones. I sat on one for ages, just taking it all in. Definitely the most interesting sofa experience I've had!"

Could you suggest three artworks related to...

REST

"There's a David Shrigley painting of an elephant sitting down, captioned "I must rest - my rampage is over." It always makes me smile."

ROMANCE

"One of the longest-standing murals in Shoreditch is by Steve 'Espo' Powers. It reads "Let's adore and endure each other" - slightly tongue-in-cheek, but I've always thought it carried a really warm tone."

RECOVERY

"I've chosen a work of my own for this. Nearly ten years ago, I broke both legs in a car crash and spent a year in a wheelchair. During recovery, I painted constantly, shifting from graffiti into pure abstraction. Once I could walk again, I started scaling up that style - this mural in New Brighton was the first really large building I painted. I was still limping when I did it. but it marked both a breakthrough in my practice and the moment I truly felt recovered."

"I got into painting through graffiti, a world I discovered early. Over the years my work has developed into pure abstraction, a style I was drawn to for the freedom it offers."

About Matt

"I'm a self-taught artist living and working in London. I got into painting through graffiti, a world I discovered early. Over the years my work has developed into pure abstraction, a style I was drawn to for the freedom it offers. I'm drawn to the beauty in landscapes that might seem chaotic at first glance - cities are full of energy and tension, but somehow everything just about holds together. That balance is something I try to capture in my work."

Matt's four-storey mural on the Brutalist spiral car park at The Mall, Wood Green, commissioned by the Mayor of London - was a collaborative project involving hundreds of residents in the creation of flags celebrating the area's diversity.