DESIGNER SPEAK
A new generation of wood artists are pushing the limits of wood by sculpting it into radical forms, carving near impossible objects of beauty
Meet artists who sculpt wood into objects of beauty
What prompted you to become a product designer?
Looking back, I believe that one of the most important factors was the encouragement from my family. My grandfather was a research forester and used to make and carve items for me as a child. I think I inherited his passion for trees and wood. My mother and father encouraged this and I then studied three dimensional design at the university.
How do you decide the theme for your projects?
My maternal ancestors were Romany gypsies, who originated from Rajasthan and travelled all over the Middle East, before settling in Wales. They went on an incredible journey across continents - I have since visited many of the places they passed through, inspired by my own love of travel, art and culture. My mission now is to bring contemporary relevance to the traditional techniques from these regions - keeping both cultural narratives and craft skills alive.
What comes first - the materials or the design idea?
It is actually the combination of both, and it comes from working closely with master craftsmen. Micth Abdul Karim Crites, based in Delhi and Jaipur, introduced me to various collections in Islamic sections of museums as well as primary research, and I designed the Ruby Tree collection based on my design ideas and the materials his workshop specialised in. I am now delighted to be working in partnership with Shamsian, a renowned Omani artist and master craftsman who showcased middle eastern techniques, and who brings an exquisite appreciation and meticulous approach to the intricacies of marquetry, which I have paired with my contemporary approach.
What inspires you?
My biggest source of inspiration is my heritage, travel and meeting people from all over the world and understanding what inspires them. I’m constantly taking pictures, especially when I’m travelling, and often use the images on mood boards when I’m forming a creative direction for a new project. The skills of the crafts people that we collaborate with are greatly influential to me, my aim is to celebrate and preserve their skills in my designs, and connect their work to new commercial markets all over the world.
What the future beholds?
I’m actually currently working in partnership on a whole new collection to be launched in Milan in April 2019 during Salone, that uses fully sustainable materials such as shells and feathers.
What prompted you to become a product designer?
I have deep love for natural timber, and I wanted to be the best craftsman that I could be. I did not start designing until I felt that I was a truly capable wood worker. I established my own furniture studio in 1998, and from then on my ability to design was as important as my ability to make.
How do you decide the theme for your projects?
I value the performance of my furniture above all other considerations. I specialise in chairs, and I want my chairs to be a true invitation to sit. I want anyone who sits in one of my chairs to know that they are sitting in something special, not just because of how it looks, or what it’s made from, but because of how it feels. I am only concerned about how a piece looks once I have arrived at the function of the piece.
What comes first - the materials or the design idea?
Wood demands respect and understanding from the designer and the craftsman. Whenever I design something, I am thinking about how it will be made and how this design will show off the potential of the timber. The materials and the design idea must always be in harmony.
The best thing that you have designed and are proud about?
The Cataract Ergonomic Rocker is my most complete design. I designed 21 chairs and stools before I designed the Cataract, and I needed each one of those designs to be able to design the Cataract. It is successful ergonomically, aesthetically and as a piece of woodcraft.
What inspires you?
As I get older, I find it harder and harder to be inspired. I have seen so much furniture and explored so many designs, that sometimes I wonder if there are any good ideas left. The ideas are fewer, but they are better. When those ideas strike, I get a rush of the old inspiration and I want to get back to the work bench and start making again.
What the future beholds?
I have reduced my team down to two master craftsmen and me. We make what we like and we like what we make. I am now freer than I have ever been to follow an idea. I no longer have to chase work very hard or expand the workshop or worry so much about the bills. I can be a designer/craftsman and make the things that I think are worth making.
What prompted you to become a product designer?
Product design is interdisciplinary - it’s an exciting combination of psychology, art, and engineering. Wood is of our special interest mainly because of our surroundings. Croatia is famous for its abundance of high quality and readily available oak wood. Due to our country’s natural resources and history in wood production, we have a lot of experience in this particular material.
How do you decide the theme for your projects?
Our work starts with recognising a problem, or user’s need and then we try to solve it in a most straightforward way. After that, things start to evolve in their own way - we choose the best material, the simplest shape of a product and production methods. The theme of our products comes at the end, and it’s usually a sum of all these processes.
What comes first - the materials or the design idea?
This is one of the hardest things for a designer to decide. Every idea needs to be formed into physical object sooner or later, and if you don’t think about the materials and the production methods from the start, you will probably end up with an idea that can’t be made into a product. Likewise, if you start the other way around, you can end up with a product that is easy and economical to make, but will have a mediocre design. It’s a balancing act, and it comes with experience.
The best thing that you have designed and are proud about?
The plateau bed is one of our favourite products because it challenges the classic bed design. It has a unibody construction composed of solid wood, metal and plywood, forming a very clean looking platform (a sort of plateau), which has the function of the traditional bed slats.
What inspires you?
The most important thing for a designer is to be present, to search for beauty in seemingly ordinary things - as a designer, you need to pay attention to how people behave, act, need, what they worry about, and want - because that’s what we try to understand and solve.
What the future beholds?
The bravest thing that we did was a decision to launch our own furniture company - Spacetime. Our goal is to become the apple for furniture industry: a small number of products that are well-thought out.
What prompted you to become a product designer?
I was going to study fine art at university, but my dad, who came from a trade background wasn’t sure how that would generate an income suitable to support a family. I had a love for woodwork at school, so he approached a local furniture maker that he knew to see if he would give me a job. Luckily he did. That was 20 years ago and I’m still grateful for that job and for my dad setting it up for me.
How do you decide the theme for your projects?
I design pieces that I would want in my home. Pieces that are comfortable on the eye, but have great integrity. Pieces where the technical complexity remains hidden, but with a level of finish and detailing that can only be achieved by skilled craftsmen.
What comes first - the materials or the design idea?
Most of the time the design idea comes first, then the materials are thoughtfully selected to bring that design to life. Occasionally, you will come across a special piece of timber thinking that you will design a piece around. Usually this timber is set aside and it may be years before the right client comes who will appreciate it.
The best thing that you have designed and are proud about?
I would say my Vista St Dining Table. It’s our most commercially successful product. It’s a dining table that was originally designed for my sister. The table is a perfect example of clean and elegant aesthetics, and is highly functional.
What inspires you?
More than anything - I really love technical furniture making. If there is a technique I want to try (like steam bending), I’ll try and work it into a design. I was lucky enough to train in a historic workshop in England. It was heavily influenced by the English arts and craft style and I fully embraced this style early on. My aesthetic has most certainly evolved, but the ethos of that particular furniture movement I try and carry forward in my work.
What the future beholds?
Last year we built our first workshop. It’s a great 400m2 space. We have already completed some fantastic projects including 21 large scale meeting tables for a new government building in Perth. We are going to build in a showroom shortly, which will add another dimension to our business.