Posting Date: July 11, 2011
Meet Asia Matos: A passion for people
By Jessica Linnell Price
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Asia Matos Photos by Tracie L. Hinnant |
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Though she started drawing at age 11, Asia Matos
didn’t get serious about her art until her senior year in high school when she began drawing family portraits. She admits to her obsesssion with figures and the human experience, and she loves the challenge of getting down a person’s likeness. “People are incredibly important to me,” she says. “I study people—that’s where I get fodder for my next work.”
As president of Visions Student Art Guild at Kennesaw State University, Asia has developed leadership skills and greater confidence. She has helped organize many shows, exhibitions and student trips through Visions, including the student exhibtion at the High Museum of Art and the Peace Conference show at KSU last March.
Asia loves the camaraderie of the KSU Department of Visual Arts and the ability to bounce ideas off others in a safe environment. Her professors have pushed her, challenged her and helped her overcome her fears as an artist. “Their words are priceless diamonds,” Asia says. Through learning their styles and philosophies, Asia has developed her own style of art.
“Asia is a hardworking, intelligent and very talented member of our community here in the Visual Arts Department,” says Assistant Professor Don Robson. “I can always count on her to bring high caliber artwork and ideas to the table. She has proven herself time and again to be among the most professional of artists here at KSU.”
Her dedication to hard work and perfection are easy to see. She is a Phi Kappa Phi member, a KSU Honors Program student, a National Residence Hall Honorary student and a 2010 recipient of the Robert and Alivia Lipson Endowed Arts Scholarship. This year, Asia was awarded a CETL grant to complete her honors capstone project, which entails rebinding five of Jane Austen’s most popular novels.
Asia plans to focus her last semester at KSU on getting her work in the public eye. Though she has organized many shows and exhibits while at KSU, she has shown few of her own pieces. “I feel like there has to be a certain imminent passion,” Asia explains. “It can’t be intermittent, and if it’s not there for me then I don’t feel comfortable giving it to the world. I have to really love it.” Associate Professor Joe Remillard says Asia is often harder on herself than he is. “What she has yet to learn is that what she sees as pretty good is actually great,” he explains.
After graduation, Asia hopes to work at a bindery during the day and paint in the evenings. She plans to continue to cultivate her skills and get her art out in the public eye. Her goals include grad school and living life as a gallery artist. “Ultimately,” she says, “I can’t imagine not being happy doing art.”