Born in Memphis, TN in 1991, Lawrence Matthews III was raised in a racially tense environment where his experiences and interests manifested themselves in his creative expression. After experimenting with different styles and influences, Matthews came into his own creating visual art combining Post Modern, Pop Art, and contemporary influences to tell the story of the displaced African living in America. His work ranges from oil paintings, to collage, photography, and ready-made sculpture, to music and film. A recipient of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Memphis, he has shown work in and curated multiple group exhibitions around the mid-south. He was awarded the Deans Creative Achievement Award and Department of Art Creative Achievement Award in 2015. In 2016 he was awarded the Arts Accelerator Grant from Arts Memphis. Matthews has had many solo exhibitions spanning painting, photography, and installation including performances and exhibitions with the Brooks and Civil Rights Museum. As program director of The CLTV, Matthews has transitioned into curating and working in the nonprofit world providing opportunities for other black artists and becoming a community leader in the Memphis area.

Recently his exploration of photography has focused on areas and moments within black communities in Memphis that have been greatly affected by gentrification, systematic disenfranchisement and city planning. His photo work captures moments of openness and the hunting reminders of things that once were, highlighting the conflict between remanence of the past and the modern-day city imposed infrastructural decay.