Roberto Matta, 20th century Chilean painter^E century, is considered to be one of the most influential surrealist painters.

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After studying architecture, he embarked on a journey across Europe where he discovered surrealist artists, such as Salvador Dalí and André Breton. He quickly became the leader of automation, an innovative artistic movement that drew its inspiration from the subconscious. After a stay in New York, Matta discovered Mexico and became passionate about pre-Columbian culture. His sculptures exhibited at the Maison de l'América Latine bear witness to the influence of various artistic movements as well as Mexican culture on his work. In turn, he inspired his contemporaries, especially abstract expressionist artists and CoBrAs.

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In 1973, following the seizure of power by General Pinochet, Matte decided to cut all ties with his native land:

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“It was this exile that determined my whole life, between two cultures. My work is a work of separation. [...] Of theexile, I went toEx-Il, somewhere between the known and the unknown, between reality and the imaginary. Where poetry begins.”

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In 1985, the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris devoted a retrospective to him, highlighting his entire artistic career.