Emil Mateja is a self-taught artist born in 1987, in Ottawa, Canada, where he continues to reside and work on his art and photography. He has been illustrating and painting since his mid-20s and practicing photography since long before then. Emil works in various mediums including ink on paper, acrylic on canvas and wood, as well as utilizing digital technology. Inspired by the natural world and the ideals of classic beauty, his work often mirrors these attributes—works consisting of detailed illustrations blending nature and imagination, paintings that depict an abstract and emotional view of the world around us, and photography that captures the beauty found in nature and in the people he photographs.