“Mythic” Matt Maes Makes Magic With Art

Denver artist Matt Maes is a lot of things. He’s a painter, but he’s also an educator. He’s a public speaker. He’s a creative community activist. He’s a husband and a stepfather. He’s an ardent fan of both mythology, and especially swords, which he says he’s always had since he was just a kid growing up in the suburbs of Denver.

And, just as important to Maes and what he offers to the world? He also happens to have Asperger’s.

Asperger’s is a condition on the Autism spectrum and one that’s usually characterized by “high functioning” ability in society, including a significant intellect and excellent verbal skills. Those diagnosed with Asperger’s can sometimes experience a hyper-focus on specific topics but can face challenges with social interactions.

Not that this has done much to stop – or even slow down – Maes. His passions – what some might call his subjects of hyper-focus – are what’s made him the success he’s become in the local art scene: both art and myth.

“I grew up with my parents reading to me a lot,” Maes recalls. “Tales of heroism. I was raised with a respect for honor. A real respect for timeless virtues. Knightliness, you know? Not just the job of being a Knight back in Medieval times, but what it meant, what it stood for. It’s something that transcends the title itself.”

His love for swords comes from that same source. “We had this family friend that used to let me hold this katana. I was really young, still learning to use the bathroom, and every time I did, I got to hold the katana,” Maes laughs. “It was pretty cool. And that’s stuck with me. I think of the sword now as a symbol too – the rightful extension of the hero themselves.”

Maes says his artistic journey began with that early love for heroism and nobility and tradition. “When I was seven years old, I was playing Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with a friend. We took a break and went up to his attic, where he had some art supplies. For some reason, that was transformative for me. I remember holding up the cover of the Nintendo 64 Mario game in one hand, and trying to replicate the lines of that drawing with my other. I experienced this feeling of flight. Of transcendence and magic. I didn’t have the language back then to describe what I was feeling, but looking back, that’s exactly what I experienced and where it all started. That’s when I fell in love with creativity.”

Despite this early start, Maes only began painting seriously six years ago. “It feels astounding to think how recent that really is,” Maes says. “Art was always a big part of who I was, but I had other things I loved too. Hiking, playing pool, things like that. But it was art that literally saved my life when I was in high school.”

Maes says he was going through a pretty dark period in his teens. His parents were divorcing, he’d just gotten his Asperger’s diagnosis, got his heart broken and was experiencing massive mood swings. “It was a downward spiral,” Maes recalls. “I was suicidally depressed – creativity was the only way I could bring myself out of it. Back then, that meant drawing.”

So it was visual expression that Maes credits with bringing him out of that darkness. “And expression, if you think about it, is the opposite of depression,” he offers. “Literally, depression is the pressing down of things within you, and you don’t have an easy way to release them. Expression-no matter what form it takes, whether it’s drawing or dance or what have you – is the self-opening up, a river of vitality coming up through you and allowing you to bring the bad things up and out.”

Maes suggests that his experience isn’t unique. “We all have these shadows within us,” he says. “You might see a kid doing these dark drawings or writing-that’s usually just that person exposing that shadow to the light. It’s not a danger. It’s usually quite the opposite.” 

These days, Maes’ endeavors are manifold. He runs the online gallery Quantum Keyhole, which not only showcases his series of myth-based paintings and artistic creations in other media but also serves as a guide to all the other things with which he keeps busy, including an ongoing Instagram Live program called Mythic Monday with collaborator Scott Mason; a workshop series with his wife Helena called Immersive Art Meditation, or “I AM” for short; and he says he’s gearing up for what he calls the “Creative Champion Collective,” which is designed to bring together artists and art supporters.

Maes is also a founding member of the Octopus Movement, an international nonprofit with an emphasis on neurodiversity and inclusivity who are coming together to address the real world’s most pressing real problems and re-imagine our communal future.

Meanwhile, Maes is busy right here in Denver with a number of shows and appearances:

• RemainReal Opening of The Art of Her: March 7, 5:30-9:30 p.m., with an Artist Reception following on March 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
• Mirus Gallery, Live Painting: March 14 and 28 from 9 p.m. to midnight
• Vending Day at The Oasis Neurosculpting Institute (details pending): April 13
• International Society of Mythology – Myth Fest: Art & Music: April 26, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

All of these creative and educational outlets, Maes suggests, are enhanced – not restricted – by his Asperger’s. “That’s the message I want to get out there,” he says. “I want to help shine a light on the real state of creativity and neurodivergence. Not just if that describes you that you’re not alone. You’re blessed in a way. There’s real strength there. That’s a gift you can give to the world.”

For more information on Maes’ upcoming events and appearances, or to check out more of his mythically-themed art, see the Quantum Keyhole website.