"Carving internal spaces means that in a way I am working with space more than with solid stone."
Matthew Simmonds transforms solid blocks of stone into intimate architectural worlds, exploring the dialogue between space, light and material. Drawing on his background in medieval art history and architectural stone carving, his sculptures reveal miniature interiors concealed within marble and limestone.
Inspired particularly by sacred architecture, Simmonds explores the relationship between positive and negative form, light and darkness, monumentality and intimacy. Columns, vaults, staircases and classical or medieval architectural forms become contemplative spaces whose appearance shifts according to the viewer’s position and changing light. His work combines extraordinary technical precision with a poetic investigation of architecture, history and the enduring relationship between human creation and natural material.