Matthew Small is a painter with a passionate belief in social inclusion. He believes that given the opportunities to be heard and respected, all individuals have something of value to contribute to society. His paintings have a strong urban quality, accentuated by his painting directly onto found metal, and are an expression of his world view. By painting young marginalized figures of society he allows the viewer to spend time with these people in the hope that a shared a sense of humanity unrestricted by class and social boundaries will arise.

Matthew is based in London and has exhibited widely and in 2001 was recipient of the BP Portrait award from the National Portrait Gallery.