Matthieu Schaeffer’s artistic journey is shaped by a duality between the organic and the artificial. Born in 1998, he grew up between Kenya and Paris, developing a deep connection to wildlife that continues to influence his work. Initially trained in engineering, he studied at EPFL in Switzerland before earning a degree in aerospace engineering in Toulouse in 2021. Throughout his studies, he maintained a parallel artistic practice, first cultivated at the ateliers d’art de Rueil-Malmaison between 2012 and 2016.

Today, Schaeffer’s work focuses on hyperrealistic representations of ceramic and plastic animals. These subjects, often inspired by species from his childhood, embody both nostalgia and concern for environmental degradation. By painting these creatures in a smooth, artificial medium, he highlights the fragility of ecosystems and the way humans transform nature into aestheticized objects. His precise, almost clinical approach to painting echoes his scientific background, yet his work remains deeply introspective, infused with themes of memory, dreams, and the passage of time.

Through his meticulous renderings, Schaeffer invites viewers to reconsider their perception of nature, prompting questions about conservation, artificiality, and the boundaries between the real and the reproduced. His paintings create a subtle yet powerful dialogue between the organic world and its synthetic imitations.