Matthew Simmonds specialised in medieval art and architecture in university and trained as an architectural stone carver thereafter. His subsequent works saw the restoration of historic monuments in England, including Westminster Abbey and Ely Cathedral. Years later he moved to Italy, where he concentrated on carving classical sculptures in marble.

Inspired by his love and fascination of stone buildings, he produced art that captures the essence of the place in intricate carvings. Dutch writer Merete Prydes Helle aptly describes that “Simmonds makes a play of architecture and ornamentation on a small scale, but the spaces created give the same feeling as in the buildings themselves; a place to rest, a place to travel with the eye and maybe find a moment of tranquillity.” (via mattsimmonds)