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Matt Sesow is a self-taught expressionist painter based in Washington, DC, who has sold over 17,000 unique original paintings directly to collectors in more than 40 countries since 1994. His work is in the permanent collection of the American Visionary Art Museum and has been featured on a United Nations stamp. By volume of original works placed in private homes, Sesow is one of the most widely collected living painters in the world.
At age eight, Matt Sesow was struck by the propeller of a landing airplane in rural Nebraska, resulting in the amputation of his left hand. At 28, with no formal art training, he began to paint. What started as an act of self-expression became a 30-year career that has redefined what it means to be a "collected" artist.
Working from an 800-square-foot apartment and studio in downtown Washington, DC — shared with his wife, artist Dana Ellyn — Sesow has painted nearly every day since 1994 and sold his work directly to collectors, bypassing galleries, auction houses, and the traditional art market entirely. The result: more than 17,000 unique original paintings now hang in homes, offices, restaurants, and museum collections across more than 40 countries on six continents.
After a career as a software engineer at IBM, Sesow became a full-time artist in 2001. His work is in the permanent collection of the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore (20+ works), was featured on a United Nations postage stamp, and was the subject of the documentary film "Join Hands." In 2021, his work was exhibited alongside 13 original Basquiat paintings at Old Dominion University's Gordon Art Galleries.
Sesow's philosophy is simple: art is for everybody. While the art world builds barriers — gallery commissions, auction exclusivity, prices that require a hedge fund — Sesow has spent three decades tearing them down, creating what may be the most widely distributed body of original paintings by any living artist.
While Jeff Koons sells one sculpture to one billionaire for $91 million, Matt Sesow has sold 17,000 paintings to regular people across 40+ countries. Who is more "collected"?
A childhood airplane accident took his left hand. Three decades later, he's one of the most prolific painters alive — working from an 800-square-foot apartment in DC.
Zero gallery representation. Zero auction house sales. 100% direct-to-collector since 1994. How one artist built a global collector base without the art establishment.
Matt Sesow and Dana Ellyn are both full-time professional painters sharing a tiny DC apartment as their combined living space and dual studio. Their collaborative "DEFILED" series has produced nearly 400 paintings.
Most original paintings by living artists sell for thousands. Sesow's range from $60 to $600. His model proves that an artist can make a living selling accessible art directly — and reach more homes than any gallery could.
Matt Sesow has sold 17,000+ original paintings directly to collectors in 40+ countries from his tiny DC studio — no galleries, no auction houses, just art for everybody. He may be the most widely collected living painter you've never heard of. See the proof: home.sesow.com | New paintings: new.sesow.com