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1st & 2nd August 2026
LEAMINGTON SPA
10am-6pm
Why Not Wood
Website:
Forrest Family
Chain Bowl
Zipply Bloom
Biography
Mathew’s artistic vision is to create contemporary sculptural work that honours traditional craft while exploring its relevance in a modern context. Using woodturning as the foundation of his practice, he seeks to reveal the natural beauty, character, and imperfections of wood through form, texture, and surface treatment.
Mathew’s mission is to push the boundaries of woodturning by combining heritage techniques with contemporary design, unconventional materials, and collaboration with other craftspeople. Each piece is individually designed and handcrafted, often influenced by conversation, imagery, and the making process itself. Through experimentation and thoughtful making, his work aims to create tactile, one-of-a-kind objects that invite engagement, spark dialogue, and encourage a deeper appreciation of craft, material, and the handmade in everyday life.
inspiration
Mathew draws inspiration from the inherent character of materials, particularly the unique grain, texture, and imperfections found in wood. His ideas often begin through conversation, observation, and simple visual prompts, allowing concepts to develop organically through the making process. Traditional woodturning techniques form the backbone of his practice, while experimentation with surface, colour, fire, and contrasting materials enables him to reinterpret these skills in a contemporary way.
Collaboration with other craftspeople, especially metalworkers, plays an important role in shaping his work, introducing dialogue between materials and disciplines. By responding intuitively to material and process, Mathew creates one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect both the heritage of craft and the influence of modern design, resulting in work that is tactile, expressive, and rooted in the act of making.
medium
Mathew works primarily in wood, using it as both a material and a source of inspiration. He is a skilled woodturner, exploring the natural grain, texture, and character of each piece of timber to create sculptural forms that are both tactile and visually engaging. His process often involves traditional turning techniques combined with experimental approaches such as scorching, carving, cutting, rejoining, and finishing with colour or metallic highlights to reveal hidden layers and contrast.
He also incorporates other materials, such as hand-forged steel, to create dialogue between textures and disciplines, often through collaboration with other makers. Mathew’s work reflects a balance between heritage craftsmanship and contemporary design, with each piece developed intuitively in response to the material. This approach results in unique, one-of-a-kind objects that celebrate both the natural beauty of wood and the creativity of the handmade process.