Bio

Matthew Cortez is an artist, curator, and scholar at the intersection of practice and theory. With a BA in Art History, Theory, and Criticism, from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) he is exhibiting artworks, curating exhibitions, and authoring contemporary scholarship. 

In 2023, Cortez exhibited his first solo exhibition with Northwestern University’s Dittmar Memorial Gallery, Matthew Cortez: I Love You. I Love You? I Love You! He has also exhibited in group exhibitions at SAIC Galleries and Indiana University Northwest among others. In his studio practice he is at the intersection of sculpture, art history, affect and erotics.

He was recently the Director of the 30th Anniversary at SAIC’s SITE Galleries and is Editor of SITE Galleries: 30 Years of Student-Led Art, Exhibitions, and Archives published in 2025 by SAIC. His publication has been acquired by over 30 institutions including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Library. In 2026 Cortez published essays with Sixty Inches From Center, The Chicago Journal of Visual Art, and an upcoming essay with the Chicago Cultural Center.

Cortez is currently the Gallery Assistant at Monique Meloche Gallery.