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21. 10. 2025
TAG24 – “Desert Nights”: The desert is alive – at Café Europa
© Thomas Türpe
Dresden – The desert is more than just sand and dunes, says artist Mattis Richter (22). His painting series Desert Nights, now on display in the Neustadt district, is meant to evoke a sense of melancholy in its viewers.
The young architecture student from Großenhain has been painting since childhood and quickly developed a fondness for dark, moody paintings.
"Some people were already worried because of that." His new desert-themed series, titled Desert Nights and inspired by a trip to Morocco, is likewise not particularly colorful.
"I’m a dreamy person and want to convey emotions—primarily the longing for distant worlds." For that, you don’t need many colors, just the right technique. With thin, translucent layers of paint, the young artist creates atmospheric works. “Painting sand this way isn’t difficult.”
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10. 10. 2025
Exhibition and Vernissage at Café Europa in Dresden Neustadt
On October 10, 2025, Café Europa in Dresden-Neustadt will host its first-ever art exhibition. Together with the young artist Mattis Richter (22), café owner Christian Sereda invites guests to the opening night. The event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature live music from a DJ from the Czech Republic.
The exhibition showcases expressive and atmospheric paintings, distinguished by their rich color palettes and evocative moods. Works from several of the artist’s series will be on display. In addition to pieces from his early career, the focus is on the series Desert Nights, which explores inner states, longing, and imagination, translating them into mysterious desert landscapes. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a selection of striking portraits, marking the beginnings of a new series.
With this exhibition, Café Europa aims to bring fresh cultural experiences to Dresden-Neustadt. Visitors are warmly invited to attend the open vernissage. Admission is free, and guests are welcome to enjoy the café’s culinary offerings during the event. The exhibition will remain on display at Café Europa for the following four weeks.
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18.06.2024
Exhibition and Vernissage at Albertreff Großenhain
"The artist Mattis Richter from Großenhain owes a large part of his artistic career to his long-time course instructor Petra Rothe. She recognized his talent early on and supported him in a special way with great dedication. […]. His paintings appear mystical at first glance, while simultaneously telling a story:
Desert Nights is the title of an unknown, distant world. The landscape is characterized by retreat and solitude. Calm and silence permeate the atmosphere. A place entirely to oneself. Without civilization. Without everyday drama. The series of paintings is not meant to make a statement, but rather to evoke a feeling, an emotion, and take the viewer on a journey.
All the paintings in the exhibition were created with oil on canvas. The canvas weave of the paintings is traditionally primed by hand with rabbit skin glue and chalk.
The vernissage invites all interested parties to engage in conversation with Mattis Richter, who is currently studying architecture."
source (translated): https://www.skz-alberttreff.de/veranstaltungen.html
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07.04.2017
“Little Rembrandt” – My Artistic Beginnings, 2017
“Großenhain. A dark fantasy figure sits on a branch, gazing toward a gloomy castle. The painting that Matthes Richter is currently creating, based on a video game reference, is mostly dark. Yet, it has something. It has a glow, a mood—not only through the neon green that Matthes has sparingly added.
Course instructor Petra Rothe, who has resumed the creative program after a long illness, is impressed. Matthes Richter is practically her star pupil. The 14-year-old high school student, in the eighth grade at Werner-von-Siemens-Gymnasium, has been attending the painting course at the Alberttreff socio-cultural center for many years. He has been drawing since he was a small child. But Matthes Richter has more than perseverance—he has talent.
His mother, Grit Richter, probably helped a little. She also enjoys painting, mainly working with candles and ceramics, Matthes explains. As a child, he painted with everything he could get his hands on: pencils, chalk, and paint. By now, his entire childhood bedroom is filled with oil paintings—though he has already given many away, he says.
Remarkable Luminosity
The 14-year-old looks forward to each new subject. “I want to create something beautiful,” he pragmatically states as his goal. He mostly paints landscapes, especially using dark colors. It seems the mysterious, the mystical, appeals to him. Most of the references he reproduces with astonishing precision and depth are fantasy motifs.
Petra Rothe shows on her phone a large-format earlier painting, with a central figure featuring enormous wings, flanked on both sides by dark armies. Even if the instructor does not particularly like the motifs, she acknowledges the typical expression Matthes gives his paintings. “For a 14-year-old, the luminosity he achieves despite dark tones is remarkable,” says Petra Rothe.
Drawing from One’s Own Imagination
Where this talent comes from, Matthes cannot explain. Perhaps it is his fascination with video games. Matthes works largely independently and patiently on his pieces. Petra Rothe appreciates his approach to the paintings, how he handles colors and brushes. “All he still needs is a bit of diligence and perseverance, then he could become a really good painter,” she says. She now wants to encourage him to create without references, drawing from his own imagination.
When asked directly if he wants to become a painter, Matthes isn’t sure yet. For now, it remains his favorite hobby.”
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