Roberto Sebastian Antonio Matta Eschaurren, said Roberto Matta, was born inChile (Chiloe) in 1911. Grown in a worthy family, he studied Architecture at theUniversity of Santiago-du-Chili and obtained his degree in architecture in1931.

He came to Europe, visited numerous countries, and settled down one time inParis where he worked in Le Corbusier’s atelier. He left Paris for London andpracticed with Walter Gropius and with Moholy-Nagy; he met Henry Moore andMagritte. Discovered in the "Cahiers d’Art", Matta liked the work of Duchamp andthe esotericism. The surrealism called him! Matta drew more and more and hisability to conceive forms in the space, his natural skill, his stunningimagination and ceaselessly on the alert, were shown trough his work already. Hemet Dali, who introduced him to André Breton. He was a provocative, acaptivating young man always dressed in white, the surrealist group « enlistedhim » immediately.

Matta began painting in 1938 and, the same year, participated in theInternational Exhibition of the Surrealism. He emigrated to New York in 1940; hemet a lot of surrealists there, got acquainted with Marcel Duchamp, contributedto several reviews.

Matta went back to Paris; he painted, did decorations of theater, and was…"excluded" from the surrealist group in 1948 (this same group "reinstated" himin 1959!). Matta settled down in Rome from 1949 till 1954, then, becameitinerant, sharing his time between France and Italy, stayed in North and SouthAmerica (Cuba). He was discharged of his Chilean nationality in 1974, after hehad participated actively in the demonstrations following the fall of thePresident Allende.

Pioneer above all, painter of the dreams and the feelings, Roberto Matta'swork is present in the biggest museums of the world and the list of theexhibitions organized on his name is not ready to be closed.

He passed away on November 23rd, 2002 in Civitavecchia, near Rome.