Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Quest
Hi Matt, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Los Angeles, and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. I attended the University of Southern California as an undergrad, and lived in LA after graduating. My creative journey probably began when my amazing mother homeschooled my sisters and I during preschool and kindergarten in Altadena. Although my mom was an English teacher for most of her career, she knew how important the arts were to developing an imaginative mind; so she introduced us to drawing, painting, and sculpting at an early age. She would also take us on field trips regularly, which definitely fueled my love for exploring and traveling. Once I started going to public schools, I often found myself doodling, drawing, or writing poems instead of taking notes in class. I knew that the creative bug was in me and I found many different outlets along the way. When I became old enough, my dad began to teach me photography, a trade he studied while in the Army Reserves. He had some professional cameras that used, and I was immediately intrigued by the ability to capture a moment in time and to frame interesting colors and compositions. When I was old enough to drive and travel on my own, I used each opportunity to explore and photograph new places from different perspectives. For me, art, writing and photography were always important ways for me to express myself without having to be verbal. Since my mom passed away in 2023, my creative endeavors have been a way for me to carry on her legacy, since without her, I would have never had an interest in the arts.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We live in a world where we almost have to fight to be creative and to keep our individuality. In school, we are taught that the arts are not a viable career choice. When I was growing up, conformity was stressed, and the only path to success was going to college and choosing a high paying career. I was lucky enough to be able to take different art classes in middle school and high school, including leatherworks, and photography (where I also learned to develop film in a dark room). However, I took a lot of time “off” from art and photography during college and in my early 20’s since I was focused on grad school, and establishing myself in my full time career in tech.
The challenge during that time was always justifying my hobbies, and finding the time and energy to invest. Another challenge I discovered was one of self-doubt. The question that many artists are plagued with is “am I good enough?” For me this even meant: “am I worth it? Is photography worth the investment?” The self doubt often comes from outside noise. As I began to spend more time self-reflecting, I began to understand the true reasons why I create: I always had an innate desire to make things. I enjoyed working with my hands and seeing things come to fruition, and it didn’t matter to me if I received praise or outside recognition.
When I did pick up photography again, I purchased a Nikon DSLR and began shooting any chance I got. I fell in love with photography, and I would get butterflies capturing beautiful sunsets and serene landscapes. But drawing was always my first love: sitting down with a pencil and paper. There is nothing that matches the simplicity and rawness, yet I struggled many times to find the motivation and the inspiration to create art. My journey came full circle once I aligned my creativity with my relationship with God; lessons that my mother taught me early on would ring in my ears. I understand the importance of creating, because it is in our nature as human beings. We are created in God’s image: God is a creator, so we were also designed to create! So when I began to draw and paint regularly again in my early 30’s, the innovation blossomed and my ability to create compositions in both art and photography began to converge and unite, and I even began to create art pieces using elements of both mediums.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a published photographer and visual artist. I have a passion for landscapes, nature, urban and street photography, portraits, and wildlife. In terms of visual art, I use charcoal, acrylics, watercolor, graphite, oil paints and digital art to create portraits, abstract art, surreal landscapes, etc. I believe I have a unique way of looking at the world that is encapsulated by everything that I work on. I envision details, patterns and compositions, and because of my background in architecture (I started college as an architecture major, and ended up minoring in it), I have a love for form and structure, as well as color theory.
When photographing people, I try to see past the exterior to capture the essence of the subject, because I feel that photography is all about telling a story: the truth of that moment. Photographers are historians and we have the unique ability to capture truth down to the millisecond. I am proud of the collection of work I have across all mediums, and I am thankful to God every opportunity that I have to travel, explore and to create.
What makes you happy?
Happiness for me is seeing other people happy. I guess this is why I love capturing smiling people. Family and friends are the ultimate blessing to me and I am grateful to be surrounded by many amazing people in my life. Without the support of the people around me, none of my creative endeavors would have been possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mattquest.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.matt.quest/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattquestoriginals/
- Twitter: https://x.com/TheMattQuest?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@themattquest
- Other: https://pixels.com/profiles/mattquest/shop
Image Credits
Model Credits: Angela Chang, Jahmea
