Seth Rolland, the master of fine wood cutting

I am increasingly fascinated by woodworkers who, like Alexander Grabovetskiy, he works with wood by hand to do amazing things. One such craftsman is Seth Rolland, considered by many of his contemporaries to be a true wood artist and a pioneer in the field of wood carving and its use to make furniture from a single piece of wood. He is a passionate woodworker who has been working with wood for more than 25 years, combining different ways of working to achieve the most sculptural but also very practical forms.

Seth is self-taught when it comes to wood and woodworking. True, he was born and brought up in a family of architects, having been exposed to art and its forms from a young age. His mother taught him to use a hammer at the age of 5 and by the age of 6 he was building a raft out of reclaimed wood and polyurethane foam with her help. He graduated college with a degree in philosophy and the environment.

But his passion for wood overcame and he started building furniture following his own philosophy. He creates his objects being inspired by natural shapes, shapes combined with movement. He likes to work with wood in various forms pushing it as close as possible to its limits. The resulting objects are a mix of clean and animated lines, equally interesting and fun.

The object is first born in his mind. He then makes drawings, sketches and models to make sure that the object is functional, the curves are proportional and well balanced from all angles. When he's sure it's functional he really begins work on the new creation. Choose the wood first by color and grain. He uses North American hardwood that he cuts, joins, bends, assembles and finishes by hand. Each step is done with great care to ensure the highest possible quality.

Rolland makes various pieces of furniture, all of them functional, which in terms of design fall into 3 categories:

• Organic furniture - where the curves are inspired by the simplicity, beauty and natural movement of shapes - made by cutting, steaming, curving, laminating or vacuum forming.

• Furniture from a single piece of wood. Furniture without joints or joints but only from cutting and bending the wood. In this case the limits of the furniture are those of the wood.

• Furniture where wood is combined with natural stone. Each material is used for exactly what it was created for: wood is used to make furniture parts that are balanced with stone. Basically the wood is balanced and balanced by the stone.

Seth Rolland is both a carpenter and a designer. He is a pioneer in woodworking, developing new techniques and creating simple yet fascinating objects. His furniture is influenced by natural forms and the aesthetics of Japanese and Danish furniture, but his personal imprint is undeniable. His contribution to the art of woodworking is recognized and appreciated by all those who work with wood, whether by hand or not.

If you liked these works you can also see the creations another young designer reinventing simple pieces of furniture.