Exhibition

Matt Overend: Views from my Chair

3 May–16 June 2024

The photographs in Views from my Chair provide an insight into Matt Overend’s unique perspective of the world, seen from his wheelchair.

Toi Galley

An accident in 2014 left Matt quadriplegic with limited physical ability, making conventional photography almost impossible. Feeling trapped by his sudden reliance on a wheelchair Matt’s drive to continue his passion led to the discovery of drone cameras. This technology gave him the ability to soar through the sky, escaping his wheelchair and viewing the landscape from a whole new perspective. In Matt’s words, it was a radical change:

‛Suddenly I could be outside and move freely almost anywhere I wanted, up, down, sideways and all under my own control! ’

This exhibition highlights two series of Matt’s work, the first from Ontario, Canada where he lived for 25 years, and the second shot in the Porirua region where he grew up. These images reflect the freedom and new perspective Matt discovered with the drones camera — literally a bird’s eye view of the world.

Image: Last Boat, Matt Overend