About the Logo and Artist

Métis artist Matthew Daratha’s winning entry was chosen to be the logo for PRIDoC 2010. The design for the Totem pole is from a drawing in a book that captured Matthew’s attention entitled Looking at Totem Poles. The painting was done out of inspiration of the surrounding area where he currently lives.

Matthew is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, born in 1984 and currently residing in Terrace, British Columbia, Canada. He designs and creates original artist works in painting, drawing, cartooning, ink and recently, wood design. He has been an artist since Grade 2. In Grade 5, he received his first award. From there, year after year, he practised and perfected his pencil design. All through his high school years, Matthew contributed to building a positive environment in his school through utilizing his artistic skills. He also created cartoons for a local newspaper in Saskatchewan, which led him to start his first comic book. Matthew also took an interest in painting landscapes in 2006-2008, and studied techniques used with acrylic paints. In 2008 he started attending the Freda Diesing School of Northwest Art, and in 2009 began his second year at the school, continuing his learning as an artist.

Matthew feels his ideas are mere combinations of things seen, memories of the past and clashes of ideas put together to create and express his imagination. The greatest feeling for him, when completing a piece, is the feeling of accomplishment. Through creating, he is able to use his gift and share it with the world. He knows life is too short to spend fighting, and too short to spend waiting; much time that is spent doing is worth more to him than time talking. His passion for art will never change.