The work of Krzysztof Mathews transports the viewer to a world that combines the essence of traditional Japanese art forms and with contemporary robotic creatures. The resulting artwork makes a power visual statement with its definite lines and bold color. Mathews uses a combination of physical sculpture and digital technology to bring to life characters competing over limited resources in a feudal society.

He creates his sculptures from found objects, rebuilds them in the computer using a computer-assisted drafting (CAD) program and creates digital illustration from the 3D models. Then he prints original archival images of each piece. Mathews work is digital art in its purest form. Mathews draws upon the Japanese print, animation and comic book traditions, combined with his own fascination with the mechanical, both for craft and content. In fact, Mathews has created a race of cybernetic organisms that exist in a feudal society. 

Art Moves, a program that brings art to new audiences, will take to the streets of Rhode Island - literally - in mid March. That's when the colorful, imaginative work of artist Krzysztof Mathews appears on sides of five RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority) buses throughout the state.

Each of the five 30" x 144" works of art features a different character created by Mathews, with a supporting slogan, such as "Art Moves," and "Inspiration is Free." Mathew's work features bright, boldly colored characters with an almost comic-book quality. The work has universal appeal and is especially popular with younger audiences.

The project, which is funded in part by a grant from Rhode Island State Council for the Arts, stemmed from the artist's desire to make art accessible to a wider audience than is typically reached by museum and gallery exhibits. The buses do just that: they are accessible to people of all economic means, levels of education, and mobility. "Art brings quality and vitality to life, but only if it is accessible," says Mathews. "Putting art - my own or anyone's - on the sides of buses breaks the museum wall barrier. It's a democratic form of exhibit."