Born in Reading, Pennsylvania and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Erasto Curtis Matthews
moved to the Washington DC area over 30 years ago as a student at Howard University. He began
exploring his artistic talents as a teenager by drawing portraits of friends, family and his favorite
musicians. Self-taught, he began painting later in life and his unique abstraction-based style is heavily
influenced by elements of African culture and African American life. His work is grounded in
vibrant color combinations and unique otherworldly settings. Erasto’s work has appeared in the
pages of the Washington Post (2/4/2022). He is currently showing his work at the Barn Gallery at
Wellspring Manor in an ongoing exhibit that started in 2018. He has exhibited his work at The DC
Black Theater and Arts Festival, Neiman Marcus/Black Art Today "Kuumba'' Exhibition, The Lake
Arbor Jazz Festival, Wolfgang Puck's Sunset Room, National Harbor, Gateway Arts Center's 39th
Street Gallery, Brentwood Maryland, Artomatic DC, DC Art All Night, Athenaeum Gallery's
"Speak Your Truth - Black Lives Matter" Exhibition, Wheaton Arts Parade Gallery "Celebration"
Exhibition, Bowie Maryland City Hall and Busboys and Poets Anacostia. Erasto also has work at
Serengeti Gallery, Capitol Heights Maryland.
