Matthew Wetschler is a physician, artist, and former professional athlete. In 2017 he broke his neck while body surfing near his home at Ocean Beach, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. During his time in the water his heart stopped for nearly 10 minutes. “Once I awoke, I was unquestionably different in a way that was ineffable. My body knew something, had lived something, that my mind did not. I felt it, but cannot describe it.” Through his recovery, which included painting, he was able to retrain his body and recover much of his mobility. In the thick, deep strokes of his paintings one can sense a strength and energy pushing forward. His work explores our relationship with physical limits, edges, and the space beyond.
