Matthew Szidik

Glass

ARTIST BIO

Matthew Szidik grew up in Marion, Ilinois, located in the Shawnee National Forest. The nature surrounding him has had a deep impact on his life and art. Matthew spent a lot of his time exploring the forest and has cultivated a curiosity for natural beauty. 

After graduating high school in 2015, Matthew attended Oglethorpe University, John A. Logan, and Southern Illinois University where he studied glassblowing under Nadine Saylor and Jiyoung Lee.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Matthew moved to St. Petersburg in 2020 to participate in the glass community.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My artwork serves as an oasis for the viewer. There’s meditation and an opportunity in the process of glassblowing, a freedom to explore the beauty of light and fluidity. Through capturing these opportunistic moments, I beckon people to venture out of their everyday routine and into their own creativity. 

Surrealism, the environment and society influence the structures and narratives of my glass sculptures. Art is a series of conscious and unconscious decisions, all of which serve to inform my work.