LU Arts has recently commissioned Matthew to produce a new public artwork for the façade of the former School of Art building, The Generator. This is part of his Handicrafts Artist Residency and a wider project that aims to turn the building on Frederick Street into a creative hub for the town.

His work explores the physical and communicative properties of ceramic tile, using textures, colours and language to tell stories of people and places.

During his talk Matthew will discuss how he is collecting stories and memories of the building to inform the content of his mural. He hopes that some former staff and students will attend the event and share their memories too. He is also researching traditional signs of British Arts Schools to inspire  the design of the piece.

The talk is free to attend and open to all but booking is essential. You can book your place here.

Following the talk, Matthew will be running two one-off ceramics workshops at the University on Wednesday 14 July, where participants will get the chance to make their own ceramic letter tile using the techniques that he will employ to make his ceramic mural. These workshops are only open to alumni and current staff and students and cost £3 including all materials. You can find out more here, including booking details.

Matthew’s finished mural will be installed on the façade of The Generator by the end of 2021. You can find out more about The Generator project here. 

Matthew studied at the Royal College of Art and has completed a prestigious ceramics residency at the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as winning a Jerwood Makers Award in 2014.

You can view Matthew's work on his Instagram page @mattrawworksinclay.