Frances Matassa (b. 1994, Seattle) is a New York-based figurative painter whose work explores themes of dissociation, grounding, and transformation. Her dreamlike compositions depict figures navigating transitional landscapes where reality blurs into the surreal. Using a vivid, often unnatural palette, Matassa heightens emotional resonance while evoking unease and disorientation. In her current series, figures emerge from dissociation to reconnect with the tactile world—lying in long grass, wading through murky waters, or glowing softly against twilight. Recurring motifs like glowing moths and symbolic insects mirror the figures’ inner worlds, embodying transformation, decay, and memory.
Matassa earned her BFA from Hunter College and debuted her first solo show, Embodiment, at VillageOne Art (2023). She is currently preparing for her next solo exhibition at the same gallery in 2025. Her work has been exhibited in group shows including Harsh Collective’s Art is Gay (2024), remnants (2023), and Unsettled (2023), as well as the Volta Art Fair (2023), and is held in several private collections.