Matthew Simmonds is a British sculptor graduated with an honors degree in history of art from the University of East Anglia in 1984, specializing in the art and architecture of the medieval period.

After working for several years as an illustrator, Simmonds studied architectural stone carving at Weymouth Technical College.

He moved to the artist town of Pietrasanta in Italy six years later, to hone in his skills in classical marble ornament, before going on to apply them as an artist.The result of a lifelong interest in stone architecture, Simmonds’ portfolio explores the characteristics of ancient and medieval buildings.

Making a play of architectural spaces on a small scale, the solid stone into which the sculptures are carved is opened up to reveal intricate internal worlds in which the changing viewpoint and light play a strong role.

Each piece is intricately hand carved into a single block of marble or limestone, and designed to evoke the feeling of a larger space.

“The world of historical architecture, particularly that of religious buildings, offers an unlimited language of expression to be inspired by,” Denmark-based Simmonds shared.

“While I often make works that are historically very specific to just one time and culture, I also try to balance this with less specific and more abstract works that draw on the use of space and light.”

More of Matthew Simmonds‘ remarkable sculptures can be found at http://mattsimmonds.com/.