Ernst Gamperl, Germany
Tree of Life 2, 2016
Oak

After graduating from a cabinetmaking apprenticeship, Gamperl went on to complete a master in woodturning and has establish studios in both Germany and Italy. Carving a distinct niche with his unique appreciation for wood has proliferated his work across Europe, Asia and America. Hewn from a massive 300-year-old oak uprooted during a storm, this large wooden containers take their design cues from the forms, fissures, and fractures of the original tree. While careful carvings of filigree parallel grooves evince the artisan’s hand on the surface, the treatment of clay, earth, and stone powder combine with the wood’s natural tannic acid to give the objects a fitting organic finish. Replete with natural imperfections, these tributes eternalise the story of a fallen tree.

Yoshiaki Kojiro, Japan
Structural Blue, 2015
Glass powder and copper oxide powder

After studying architecture in his hometown of Chiba, Japan, Yoshiaki Kojiro honed his artisanal skills at the Tokyo Glass Art Institute. His disciplined approach to glass-making is infused with his native culture and his propensity for investigation. A musing on the relationship between materials and man, this glass bowl becomes a trophy of experimentation. Blending glass powder with copper oxide, the firing process creates a unique interplay between the melted glass and the gases emanating from heated mineral. The result is an ephemeral glow that creates a withered texture on the lasting form. Transmitting the strength of a ceramic piece made from the delicacy of glass, the rich blue-coloured bowl is a radical, profound and majestic statement.

Artesanías Panikua, Mexico
Tata Curiata, 2016
Wheat fiber

Descendants of the indigenous Purépecha people from Mexico’s Michoacán region, this family workshop weaves ancestral craftsmanship and mythology into every creation. Between farming and fishing, Antonio Cornelio, his wife Verónica, and two daughters Gabriela and Bertha, further a legacy that extends well beyond their own family. Several hundred strands of wheat fibre are woven together to form this Purépecha representation of a sun deity that denotes war and fire. Decorated by the dual motifs of stars and humming birds, it also illuminates the connection between craft and ancient farming techniques. The intricately designed piece is a testament to the inter-generational transfer of knowledge and skills; a practice that preserves the unbroken chain of ancient production.