Born and raised in Perry, Utah, Matt gained early inspiration from watching his family members work with metal, wood, painting, and drawing. Although none of his family had formal education in the arts, their creativity and craftsmanship made a lasting and profound impact on him. As a result, Matt began working with many of the same mediums as a child, ultimately discovering his love for ceramics in high school.

Matt has been working with clay since 1999. He received his Associate's degree from Utah Tech University in 2008 and his BFA in ceramics and secondary art education from Utah State University in 2012. After graduating, he taught ceramics at DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts from 2011 to 2022. He currently lives in Ogden, Utah, with his wife and children, where he runs a studio production in their home studio.