Matt Roussel’s Textured Woodcuts Metamorphose into Paintings

From elaborate portraits to overflowing florals to playful animals, the woodcuts of Matt Roussel (previously) tell a wide range of enigmatic stories. For his large-scale works, Roussel begins by carving wooden panels, but rather than using the blocks to make prints, he applies acrylic paint to the surfaces to create bold, textured paintings. Portraits of women wearing unique garments are complemented by goldfish that metamorphose into birds and giant scarab beetles cloaked in giant flowers.

Roussel’s work will be on view in several forthcoming art3f fairs throughout Europe, with Strasbourg, Nantes, and Lyon coming up in late February and March. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

a combination woodcut and oil painting of a scarab beetle with large flowers over its body, set against a white background — “Three Flowers Scarab,” acrylic on carved wood

a detail of a combination woodcut and oil painting of a scarab beetle with large flowers over its body, set against a white background — Detail of “Three Flowers Scarab”

a combination woodcut and acrylic painting of a group of blue fish that morph into birds, set against a white background as if viewed from below — “Métamorphose,” acrylic on carved wood, 60 x 60 centimeters

a combination woodcut and oil painting of a woman wearing a large headdress of white flowers and an ornate brocade garment against a black background — “Fleur de Zhou,” acrylic on carved wood

a combination woodcut and oil painting of a comical fish popping its head out of the water, wearing a top hat that has an eyeball, with a pipe in its mouth — “Poisson pipe,” acrylic on carved wood, 60 x 80 centimeters

a combination woodcut and acrylic painting of a reclining woman wearing a ruffly pink dress and a large headdress of pink flowers, set against a green landscape with more pink flowers — “La grande fleur,” acrylic on carved wood, 120 x 80 centimeters

a combination woodcut and oil painting of a woman rendered in tan and gold with goldfish swimming around her face — “Golden dance,” acrylic on carved wood, 60 x 80 centimeters

a combination woodcut and oil painting of three blue mountains emerging from a white, watery background — “3 cimes,” acrylic on carved wood, 120 x 80 centimeters

a detail of a combination woodcut and oil painting of three blue mountains emerging from white space — Detail of “3 cimes”

a combination woodcut and oil painting of a woman wearing a large tan hat or headdress that blends into the background so that her face contrasts with the rest of the composition — “La falaise,” acrylic on carved wood, 60 x 80 centimeters

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