Matt Roby chats to Tamzin Lewis about his fantastical sculptures.

THERE’S nothing like asking the obvious, so I feel perfectly comfortable with inquiring as to whether Matt Roby is superstitious. Born on Friday 13th, the designer and sculptor might have gone through his life avoiding ladders, black cats and lonely magpies.

But no, he pooh-poohs the idea that it might be unfavourable to board a boat while wearing green. However he is fascinated by ideas of superstition and fate, reflected in his incredible collection of sculptures for The Fateful Fable of 13.

“I have never believed in all the Friday 13th nonsense, but I am curious about it,” Matt, 32, says. “I am interested in why people believe in fate and why bad things might happen. Some people have little routines and rituals they go through on Friday 13th to ward off evil, but really they have no control over fate whatsoever.”

Matt’s idea was to personify the number 13 as a cat-like creature, who sadly wears the badge of ‘the unluckiest soul of all.’ Following the creation of this character, The Fateful Fable of 13 emerged as a story (printed as a book) and individual illustrations of characters all born in the mysterious month of Thirteenber.

Matt says: “I had been doodling Thirteen for ages and realised I had to do something with it. I added trinkets of bad luck to him like cracked paving for sandals and a ladder hat, so he was permanently walking under a ladder.”

He adds: “The idea was bubbling under while I was doing other projects and then he became a physical being.”

Each character has been cursed from birth and bound together by fate, they are ‘destined to cause one another’s demise.’

Matt says: “The whole idea of the story was about Friday 13th and the idea of controlling your own destiny. My characters are linked together and they think they are going about their lives in full control, but they are not.“