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Roberto Matta Lighting

Chilean, 1911-2002

“The function of art,” the Surrealist Roberto Matta once stated, “is to unveil the enormous economic, cultural and emotional forces that materially interact in our lives and that constitute the real space in which we live.” In his paintings, Matta sought to expose those forces through the Surrealist practice of automatism, creating work in a free-associative state intended to conjure the unconscious.

After studying architecture in his native Chile, Matta, then 22, chose to pursue the field in Paris, where he mingled with stars of the avant-garde like Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dalí and Walter Gropius. In the late 1930s, he abandoned Paris, together with his job at Le Corbusier’s studio and (for a time) his career, for modern art’s new epicenter, New York City. There, he became a colleague of art legends like Marcel Duchamp and Arshile Gorky.

Although celebrated primarily for his work as a painter, Matta was an equally talented furniture designer. His furniture pieces, like his artworks, are the stuff of dreams. The back of his totem chair, for example, is composed of smiling, cartoonish creatures stacked on top of each other. In his MAgriTTA armchair, the top half of a plush green apple sticks out of large black bowler in homage to its namesake, the Belgian Surrealist René Magritte.

But perhaps the piece that most truly embodies his artistic philosophy is his 1966 Mallite modular system: a collection of spongy, undulating sofas and lounges that can be fitted together to form a puzzle-like room divider. The work, an original edition of which is in MoMA’s permanent collection, has in recent decades been a hard-to-find collectors’ item — until 2019, when Italian design brand Paradisoterrestre issued a reedition, available through Duplex.

Browse Roberto Matta's paintings and furniture designs on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Roberto Matta
Roberto Matta Mezzanotte floor lamp, aluminium Paradisoterrestre limited edition
Roberto Matta Mezzanotte floor lamp, aluminium Paradisoterrestre limited edition

Roberto Matta Mezzanotte floor lamp, aluminium Paradisoterrestre limited edition

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Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT

Designed in the early 1970s - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2026 Materials: aluminium, PVC shade, plexiglass base Born in the early 1970s from the multifaceted imagination of surrealis...

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Roberto Matta Ore Tre Table Lamp, aluminium Paradisoterrestre limited Edition
Roberto Matta Ore Tre Table Lamp, aluminium Paradisoterrestre limited Edition

Roberto Matta Ore Tre Table Lamp, aluminium Paradisoterrestre limited Edition

By Roberto Matta, Paradisoterrestre

Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT

Designed in the early 1970s - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2026 Materials: aluminium, PVC shade, plexiglass base Born in the early 1970s from the multifaceted imagination of surrealis...

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Roberto Matta for Arredoluce Adjustable Ceiling Fixture in Brass, Italy, 1950
Roberto Matta for Arredoluce Adjustable Ceiling Fixture in Brass, Italy, 1950

Roberto Matta for Arredoluce Adjustable Ceiling Fixture in Brass, Italy, 1950

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Classic Arredoluce ceiling fixture in brass and lacquered aluminum, it can be adjusted up or down with a tensioning mechanism. 2 are available, price is for 1.

Category

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Roberto Matta Rombo floor lamp, Paradisoterrestre limited Edition
Roberto Matta Rombo floor lamp, Paradisoterrestre limited Edition

Roberto Matta Rombo floor lamp, Paradisoterrestre limited Edition

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Designed in the early 1970s - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2026 Materials: gold-lacquered metal, fabric lampshade Born in the early 1970s from the multifaceted imagination of surreali...

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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Roberto Matta Lighting

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Roberto Matta lighting for sale on 1stDibs.

Roberto Matta lighting are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. Many of the original lighting by Roberto Matta were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the mid-20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider lighting by Venini, Carlo Scarpa, and Guglielmo Ulrich. Prices for Roberto Matta lighting can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $11,500 and can go as high as $11,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $11,500.
Questions About Roberto Matta Lighting
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Roberto Matta is a painter who became a noted part of the Surrealist movement. Born Roberto Antonio Sebastian Matta Echaurren in 1922 in Santiago, Chile, the artist began his professional life as an architect and slowly switched to painting. His work often featured complex biomorphic forms in disturbing settings, making him an important influence in the post World War II era. Shop a selection of Roberto Matta pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Chilean-born Roberto Matta is a modern art painter primarily known for his work in blending surrealism with abstract expressionism. You can shop a selection of expertly vetted Fairfield Porter pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.