Carlos Matallana
My illustration tool is ink/pen on paper, I rely on high contrast and its expressionism qualities. I prefer to illustrate my characters from the back like an anonymous quiet observant. I enjoy illustrating full body characters standing or in movement revealing attitudes and feelings through posture or even clothing instead of facial expressions. I found, however, that Illustration was not as persuasive as education (new media), where I had the chance to interact with students from diverse environments and learn from their experiences. Education led me to develop role play games as pedagogical tools, and challenge apprentices to create and develop their own ideas, then share it throughout new media. Both disciplines (Illustrator and Game Developer) convey my working experience, and research into complex issues, including violence, urbanism, economics, and housing, which motivates me to question my position as a father, educator and artist, then challenge the audience to reflect about their role in a complex rich urban society as Chicago.
Portrait by Devina Yoestong
Stories from Carlos Matallana
Carlos Matallana & Smyser Elementary School
Project Overview
Carlos Matallana is a Bogotá-born, Chicago-based artist and teacher. His Manual of Violence project, an investigation into the history and narrativization of violence, has stretched several years and a dozen workshops, one game, countless classrooms, and a full-length comic book teaching manual (in progress) based on his ongoing conversations about violence with his young children. Blok by Blok Podcast his most recent project, is fueled by kids resolving their own questions via research, interviews and story development.Tools and skills for the youngsters to contribute actively as opposed to consume passively.
