Mike Prankerd
Furniture Art
I am a Senior Lecturer at Swansea Institute of Higher Education where I train
teachers in Design & Technology. In my spare time I make traditional oak
furniture. During a recent holiday visit to South West Ireland I discovered
the art and informal style of rustic chair-making using natural materials
straight from the woods.
After making my first rustic chair from hazelwood using modern tools I began to experiment with various chair designs and taught myself to use the old tools and techniques traditional to woodland craftworkers over past centuries. I now have a collection of original woodland tools and use these to produce a range of chair designs.
Some of my chairs are inspired by the natural forms of the Gower hazelwood I use. Others are built using driftwood collected from Gower beaches. I also design `theme` chairs using old artefacts and appropriate materials.
My work is available through a few local galleries and art & craft centres. During the summer of 2005 I have my first full exhibition at The Model House Centre – Llantrisant nr. Cardiff.
I discovered `Exposure` after viewing the final year degree work of art students at Swansea Institute and was invited to join the Guild.
I can be contacted on 01792 233520 or by email on : mike_prankerd@yahoo.co.uk
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