How do you go about your work?
With a chainsaw, I cut planks from the tree. Before I start woodturning, I prepare a sketch. I then work on the wood intuitively. I use the lathe as well as other tools to sculpt and carve out the wood technically. As surface treatment, I like to use iron or ammonia which blacken the oak.
What is the reason behind your almost exclusive use of oak wood?
I am fascinated by the shape of old oak trees. I like the coarse-pored, sometimes wild grain of the wood, which offers great texture when brushed. Sometimes you get a leather-like finish when the vessels dry, which makes them very inviting to the touch.
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Why do you think your work has been in the limelight recently?
In 2017 I won the MANUFACTUM State Prize in North Rhine-Westphalia for applied arts. Then, from 2017 to 2019 I lived in Lyon, in France but I left my turning machines and workshop in Germany. So I drew a lot and I conceptually created work that later won other prizes, such as the third place in the Hessian State Prize for applied arts in Germany.
How do you turn your very large objects?
My objects are turned on an old heavy-duty lathe. I want to consciously create asymmetrical objects, so after turning the upper part of a vessel I shift the rotary axis and proceed by turning further to finish the object. This idea is quite simple, the challenge is in executing it.