Just over ten years ago, actor Matt Dillon found himself at a friend’s place, idly sketching with crayons meant for children. This casual pastime soon transformed his kitchen counter into a creative hub. By 2016, his artistic pursuit led him to rent a dedicated painting studio. Despite his limited formal art education, Dillon’s upbringing in an artistically inclined family—with a father and grandmother who were portrait painters and a great-uncle who originated Flash Gordon—instilled in him a profound appreciation for visual creation.
Dillon’s distinct artistic approach, showcased in a consistent series of gallery exhibitions in recent years, is characterized by its spontaneity, rich texture, and expressive gestures. He produces striking, flat artworks featuring elusive figures, recurring motifs, and enigmatic text. When his acting commitments take him away from his studio, Dillon adapts by applying acrylics to readily available materials such as loose paper and reused notebooks. This adaptive method is prominently featured in his inaugural solo exhibition at The Journal Gallery in New York, titled “Porto Novo to Abomey,” which commenced on April 24.
Installation view of “Porto Novo to Abomey.” Photo: courtesy The Journal Gallery/Guang Xu.
The collection of paintings emerged during Dillon’s time in Senegal, where he was filming Claire Denis’s The Fence (2025). In the movie, he portrayed Horn, a embattled American overseeing a contentious construction project in an unnamed West African nation. Following the shoot, he journeyed through Benin, encountering various textiles, architectural styles, landscapes, and people that served as rich inspiration for his art. The exhibition’s title signifies the 100-mile inland journey from Benin’s present-day capital to the historical core of the Kingdom of Dahomey. Upon his return to New York, Dillon inscribed these place names onto a piece of black Masonite, which is now displayed in the gallery’s window.
Matt Dillon, Porto Novo to Abomey (2026). Photo courtesy the artist and The Journal Gallery.
“It’s not meant to be a literal description of the work or place, but rather the feeling behind the work,” the gallery’s co-founder, Michael Nevin, shared via email.
This “feeling” manifests as enduring images flattened and loosely depicted in paint. Examples include a clumsy, flying cat rendered in stark black outline, a stack of bright orange cinderblocks against a wall, and a green sea set against a weathered pink background. One particular work explores voodoo, which has roots in the Kingdom of Dahomey, by layering masks and tools onto lined notepad paper.
Two other pieces are titled Coastal Landscape: the first presents a dark block of black for sea and sand, with tree branches drooping like teeth, while the second portrays a disquieting and worn figure. Whether by design or not, it’s difficult to overlook the implied connection to the countless millions who were tragically forced into slavery from these very coastlines.
Matt Dillon, Untitled (2025). Photo courtesy of The Journal Gallery.
Historically, Dillon’s connection to this region has primarily been through music. He has dedicated time to studying rumba and guaguancó, possesses an extensive collection of Afro-Cuban records, and directed El Gran Fellove (2020), a documentary about Francisco Fellove, a pioneering artist who blended Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz in the 1950s. Nevin indicated that this musical background ultimately inspired and informed Dillon’s journey through Benin.
“Matt is constantly drawing, collaging, collecting, and writing while traveling. He often acquires discarded textbooks or old newspapers, repurposing them as sketchbooks,” stated Julia Dippelhofer, the gallery’s other co-founder. “He possesses an absorbent mind and is a superb storyteller.”
“Matt Dillon: Porto Novo to Abomey” is on display at The Journal Gallery, located at 45 White Street, New York, from April 24 to May 23.