Duke Christie, Furniture & Art in Wood

The natural environment surrounding my home and studio in Moray is a constant source of inspiration, with the Cairngorm mountains to the south, the Moray Firth to the north and rivers Spey and Findhorn meandering through the rolling hills. Echoes of mountains, rivers, and familiar natural forms can all be seen in my current work. Using the fruits of over 30 years of painstakingly toiling with wood, I strive to make objects which reflect the simple things that enrich our lives and remind us of our elemental and emotional bond with the natural environment. My work has been gradually shifting away from the functional constraints of traditional cabinet making to more abstract sculptures allowing me freedom to work more in dialogue with wood. With the aid of power and traditional hand tools, including spokeshaves, gouges, and rifflers, adapted, or purpose made, I use local responsibly sourced timber to make sculpted forms with hand carved textures. The pieces are often torched, scrubbed, and pigmented to enhance the grain, creating a fascinating play of light on highly tactile surfaces. My work aspires to celebrate wood with all its imperfections to tell the story of the tree’s momentous life.