Matthew was born and raised in central Alberta where he began his arts education at Red Deer College. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Ceramics from the Alberta College of Art + Design in 2011. The son of a carpenter and a farm girl, Matthew has always been a maker. Materials such as: Lego, modelling clay, wood and food where always at hand during his early life. In the fall of 2007 Matthew fell in love with wood-soda firing when he skipped class to attend a workshop with Australian artist Gail Nichols, he has never looked back.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My primary concern is the transformation of materials and experience through fire. I view kilns as an alchemical device: raw clay and glaze materials are sealed inside and subjected to extreme conditions of heat and atmosphere. If I am successful, these materials will emerge transformed into functional pots with rich surfaces that speak to the natural environment and forces that created those materials in the first place. Other works seek to transmit a small taste of that transformative communal experience to a broader audience: through a blend of functional pottery, kiln building, performance and fire.