Matthew Fisher is deeply moved by materiality. The artist, founder of New York studio M.Fisher, believes each piece of natural stone has a unique personality. “Every stone behaves differently, and its geological formation informs how it can be shaped,” he tells Business of Home. “Learning the tolerances and possibilities within each material is a continual pursuit that guides my design process.”
Growing up in Virginia, Fisher began studying classical ballet at 6 years old. His mother danced with the Joffrey Ballet School, and frequently took him to performances at the Kennedy Center, while his father, a micropaleontologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, educated him about minerals and stones. “Looking back, I see how deeply material curiosity was embedded in my upbringing.”
After an injury led him to step away from dance, he studied ancient art and architecture at the Pratt Institute, where he went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts. He began working with interior design firms on domestic and international projects, eventually landing a job freelancing for a residential developer. “It was through this work that stone reentered my life in a profound way,” says Fisher. “Collaborating closely with a fabricator in Long Island City, designing everything from lobby desks to conference tables and planters, I learned the physical tolerances of the material and the technical processes required to handle it.”
Fisher decided to reach out to a quarry owner in Tivoli, Italy, whom he met through his father, and secured his own supply of travertine. After sketching, drafting and building prototypes, he developed his first collection of stone objects in 2021: a dozen small pieces inspired by ancient Roman aqueducts—which were quickly swept up by family and friends. “That moment marked the true beginning of my practice, when historical reference, material experimentation and contemporary design language converged into a cohesive body of work,” he says.
When it comes to materials, Fisher says the more distinct, the better. He currently sources stone from 18 countries across the globe, and says more than 40 types have passed through his studio, including Diaspro, a rare and precious Sicilian breccia known for its graphic rust-hued veins, and vibrant Cocada Blue quartzite from Brazil. “The relationships I have with miners and stone yards are the cornerstone of my practice,” he says. “Being their first call or text when something unusual is unearthed, or when material is considered too fractured or irregular to process into standard blocks, is what keeps the breadth of my materials so unique.”
Fisher’s artful designs require a medley of dexterous techniques to execute. Starting with an irregularly shaped boulder, which can weigh up to two tons, each piece is wire-cut into a small block before he and his team of three artisans can carve it into a vessel. “We use a range of tools and machinery, including a five-axis CNC,” he says of the cutting process. “Surface polishing is done with handheld rotary polishers, often requiring significant elbow grease to reach the most challenging areas.”
Along with a selection of one-of-a-kind stoneware, Fisher—who recently opened his first permanent gallery in Manhattan’s Seaport neighborhood—offers an assortment of stone-based furnishings, including tables and light fixtures. Last year, he launched Demeter, a limited-edition cedar- and sandalwood-infused fragrance system with a sculptural silver sandstone diffuser. “My mission is to expand how people perceive stone,” he says, “not simply as a decorative surface, but as a cultural and spatial medium rooted in history and reinterpreted through contemporary design.”
