Matthieu Diesse was born in Bordeaux in 1926 to Basque parents. After spending his entire childhood along the beaches of the Atlantic, the sea remains his greatest inspiration.
As a young man, he entered the Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux then later the Beaux–Arts de Paris where he received le prix d’Antinville, the first prize in painting composition and the second prize in “montee en loge” for the Prix de Rome. Upon leaving Beaux-Arts in 1952, MATTHIEU DIESSE devoted himself for a time to portraiture, soon after which he displayed his paintings in a variety of collective exhibitions in Paris including Nouvel Essor, Katia Granoff and Romanet.
In 1955, he joined the Havas-Conseil, first as a poster artist then later as artistic director. In the 1970’s, he joined l’Agence Belier, a Groupe Havas enterprise. There, he was the creative force behind numerous publicity films and campaigns.
During this entire period, he continued to paint and in 1978, after several years of contemplation, he exhibited 95 paintings on the theme of “Les Grands Silences” (Commentaries on the Vastness of Silence) at the Galerie Vision Nouvelle.
In 1980 and 1982, exclusive exhibits of his work were featured at the Galerie Pacitti and also in Newsweek’s Salons. From 1984 to 1986, he was a guest artist at the Salon de l’Ecole Francais, Le Musee Luxembourg and l’Espace Cardin.
Along with other artists, his works have been displayed in various cities around the world for the Patrimoine Artistique de Lu.
From 1987 to 2004, he divided his time between Paris and his workshop in Guethary (located in the Atlantic Pyrenees) and committed himself solely to various painting projects. After two exhibits in the Basque Country, one in 1988 and another in 1991, he exhibited at the Galerie Roland Marechal in Bordeaux in 1994. In 1996, he exhibited at the Valtat Gallery in Paris. That same year, his works went on display in Japan. From that point on, his works have been regularly featured at the Galerie l’Ami des Lettres in Bordeaux.
The paintings of Matthieu Diesse are on display in numerous special private collections in France and around the world.