Mary Jo Matsumoto is a contemporary figurative painter whose work moves between environmental forces and psychological tension. Her ocean paintings treat water as a charged emotional field rather than a traditional landscape,and her Half Asian Artifacts series forms a central thread in her exploration of identity and belonging.
Matsumoto’s latest series merges memory with the beauty and contradictions of Southern California. Set against the backdrop of tennis courts, palm trees, and swimming pools, the paintings hold the tension between teenage rebellion, the crushing expectation of perfection, and the longing for escape. Her underlying themes of identity, family, and environment invite the viewer into a broader narrative.
She lives and works in California.
CURRICULUM VITAE
EXHIBITIONS
2025 The Gallery at Green & Stone, London Summer Exhibition
2025 SERENITY, International juried Exhibition
2024 Made in California, 39th Annual juried exhibit showcasing artists from the state of California.
2022 The de Young Museum in San Francisco, Pictures of People group show in celebration of Alice Neel, People Come First exhibition.
2022 California Inclined: Robert Graham, Larry Cohen, Don Bachardy, Mary Jo Matsumoto, Holly Williams at Daniel Moshi Gallery, Los Angeles, California
2022 PANDEMIC at Sol Art Gallery, Dublin, Ireland.
2021 Arts to Hearts Project, Gaze, International Exhibition with 30 Women Artists
2019 Art Students League of New York, Group Bronze Show
2015 Art Students League of New York, Group Bronze Show
2015 Art Students League of New York, Group Drawing Show.
2014 Luhring Augustine, NYC, Visual Aids Post Cards From the Edge, “Woman in an Alexander McQueen Scarf”.
AWARDS:
2019 Red Dot Winner (Best in Show), Art Students League of New York, Group Bronze Show
2015 Blue Dot Winner, Art Students League of New York, Group Bronze Show
