My name is Matt Loughlin and I am a traditionally trained letter-cutter and stone carver. Using time-honoured tools and techniques, I create bespoke memorials and fine art in stone.

I draw and carve all of my work by hand, the old-school way, so each piece I make is unique. While I do create fine art, which is sold in a gallery setting, individual commissions for gravestones and cremation plaques are the foundation of my practice. Helping people celebrate the lives of their loved ones in unique and creative ways is extremely meaningful to me and informs everything else I make.

My goal as an artist & craftsperson is to bring an impactful, contemporary voice to the traditional crafts of letter-cutting and stone carving. I strive to explore big-question themes with humour and empathy through a combination of relief carving and original, hand-lettered inscriptions.

I am a great lover of art and history, and so both things inform my work. I draw inspiration from a wide variety of sources: everything from historical monuments and folk art to traditional calligraphy and modern art. I hope to create work that inspires people to pause and reflect and appreciate life - in all its wonder, drama, and complexity.

Exhibitions

Awards & Education

  • Grown From Stone - Winterbourne House & Garden, Birmingham, UK - Aug 2024
  • 'Edward Bawden & Me' - The Higgins Museum, Bedford, UK - Feb 2024
  • ‘Wishlist’ - Andelli Art, Wells, UK - Dec 2023
  • Winter Open - Heart of The Tribe Gallery, Glastonbury, UK - Dec 2023
  • 'Transfigured' - Rachel Bebb Contemporary, Hampshire, UK - Oct 2023
  • Wells Art Contemporary, Wells, UK - Aug 2023
  •  'Artist Retreat' - The Edward Gorey House Museum, Cape Cod, USA - June 2023
  • Spring Exhibition - Moorwood Art Gallery, Bruton, UK - April 2023
  • Autumn Exhibition - Moorwood Art Gallery, Bruton, UK - Nov 2022
  • 'Simon Lewty & The Nereids' - The Lettering Arts Trust - Touring 2021-present
  • 'Will Carter: Man of Letters' - The Robert Cripps Gallery - Cambridge, UK - 2022
  • 'On The Knife Edge' - The Lettering Arts Trust, Suffolk, UK - 2021
  • 'New Beginnings' - The Letterings Arts Trust, Suffolk, UK - 2020
  • Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Graphic Design - Onondaga Community College
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design - State University of New York at Oswego
  • Sebastian Walker Memorial Apprenticeship - The Lettering Arts Trust
  • Bursary Award 2020 - York Consortium for Craft and Conservation
  • Bursary Award 2022 - York Consortium for Craft and Conservation