Matt Altman was born June 6, 1984, on a Virginia naval base and found his earliest passion in art and music, encouraged by his mother and teachers. His path wandered through scattered jobs—dishwashing, pizza delivery, truss building—before he settled into training as a plumber. Along the way, he fell in love with an Anishinaabe woman who shared his love of art, and their relationship became the anchor his life had been missing. Together they built a family, and the birth of his children reignited his creative drive. Drawing returned first, full of raw feeling; painting followed, still finding its footing. Today Matt channels that mix of curiosity, confidence, and emotion into expressive artwork centered on the people he loves most. His story, like his art, is still unfolding.