How do you combine innovation and tradition?
In terms of the way I work, I have evolved from a very functional – and traditional – approach to working increasingly freely and responding to the wood in a far more aesthetic way. I do not see tradition as something closed, but as a pool of knowledge, experience and techniques from which I can draw.
So you break free from aesthetic archetypes but use shared knowledge?
Exactly, by freeing myself from classical ideas of how a certain type of work should look, I can contribute to expanding this pool with my own contemporary points of view. I am attracted to taking up traditional themes and interpreting them in my own way.
© Katharina Meixner
How is that reflected in your practice?
Every tool and every technique has its advantages and disadvantages, which are more or less suitable depending on the application. So I use an angle grinder with milling discs for rough material removal. When it comes to organic textures, I resort to traditional carving irons. But I also experiment with methods such as burning, brushing or sandblasting the surface.
What are your sources of inspiration?
I try to absorb everything. I find particular inspiration in organic forms, such as wood cells viewed under a microscope, the landscape of sand dunes or the course of a river. Sometimes, however, it is also abstract ideas of dynamics and movement that I want to capture in my work.