About

Matt Donner is a figurative, portrait, and animal sculptor living in Austin, TX who works in ceramics and limited edition bronze sculptures. His artwork has been exhibited in many juried shows and galleries, as well as, commissioned or created for personal collections. Matt Donner began at an early age sculpting animals and he still remembers the 1st time he was given oil based clay, and fell in love with its plasticity, texture, and non-drying characteristics. His dad and siblings tell everyone that he didn’t start talking until he was six years old, preferring to be by himself, creating clay dinosaurs and animals from his imagination. To this day, he spends hours creating, by himself, an introvert, within his studio surroundings. Although he has worked in oil based clay, wax, plaster, and stone, he presently prefers water based clay for its earthiness, characteristics, and ancient bonds. There is a connected spirit of earth, clay, and soul which is conveyed within his artwork through finger prints, tool marks, colors and movement.
Matt Donner graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor of fine arts degree with a focus on sculpture. He predominantly worked around the school foundry, sculpting directly in wax and utilizing the lost wax bronze casting method creating one of a kind sculptures. It wasn’t until years later, when he took a figurative ceramic sculpting class, that he realized how much he enjoyed working in water based clay and being able to produce sculptures directly in clay and ceramics. Over the years, he has consistently tried to hone his skills, relying on his studies, artist’s influence, and zest for learning to create a style which communicates representational movement, gestures, and beauty influenced by all living beings. He hopes you enjoy all of his creations and are drawn to each sculpture with a feeling of divine connectivity.
Exhibitions and Achievements:
Georgetown Public Library/TSOS “10th Texas Society of Sculptors Exhibit”, Juried Show, Georgetown, TX (June 2017)
Georgetown Art Center “Art Hop”, Statewide Art Competition, Juried Show, Georgetown, TX (September 2017)
“Sculpture on Main 2018”, Street Fest, Marble Falls, TX (November 9-10, 2018)
Georgetown Public Library/TSOS “12th Texas Society of Sculptors Exhibit”, Juried Show, Georgetown, TX (June - September 2019), Third Place Award
Museum Day Exhibit at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, Austin, TX (September 22, 2019), People’s Choice Award
Cedar Park Community Sculpture Garden, Juried Selection, Cedar Park, TX (October 2019 – October 2020
Fusion.Art 2nd Annual Into the Wild Quarterly Art Competition, Online Juried Art Exhibition, Best in Show (3 Dimensional) "Ursus Arctos Horribilis", December 2019 –March 2020
Georgetown Arts Center “Critters: Our Animal World”, Texas Statewide Art Competition, Juried Show, Georgetown, TX (May 19 – June 19, 2020) Second Place Award
35th Annual Bosque Art Classic, Internationally Juried Show, Bosque Arts Center, Clifton, TX (September 2020)
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Education
1998 - 2002 The Fine Arts Academy
Grants & Awards
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Exhibitions & Festivals
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Publications
2002 - I'm a title. Click here to edit me.
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