On Monday May 2, Dunedin personality Larry Matthews was found dead in his George Street apartment. His death came as a shock to those who knew him, and he will be sorely missed both within the arts community and throughout wider Dunedin.
Larry was an artist, designer, poet, writer, magician, musician and curator. He taught Design at Otago Polytechnic and was the Arts Editor for D Scene for a period of time before shifting his focus to street performance and art. With a small sign stating “Happy as Larry”, Larry could often be seen performing magic tricks along George Street, brightening many a cold, dreary Dunedin day. Over the past year, a number of Larry’s poems were published in local zine INK.
Early last year, Larry opened {Lanyop} Langniappe, a small art gallery which was only open when the sun went down. The word “lagniappe” means “a little extra something for nothing”. The gallery was located inside Larry’s residence, behind Mou Very on George Street. Lit by candle and accompanied by Larry’s piano playing, {Lanyop} offered the most intimate, beautiful, interactive and spiritual way to experience art. It showcased both Larry’s work and the work of many other local and international emerging and established artists, including Jo Robertson and James Robinson, a former student of Larry. Unfortunately for both Larry and the people of Dunedin, Lanyop was shut down earlier this year.
He was also a beloved friend of many. A friend of Larry commented that “his presence immediately made your day special. Larry Matthews was a person with limitless ideas, more ideas than most people could even fathom. He was a person whose enthusiasm encouraged you to be creative, because he genuinely cared about what you were doing. He was a wonderful human being and was loved by so many people. It’s made me realise that we all must take care of each other and look after the ones that we love and who inspire us.”
Obituary
