Eleanor Lakelin
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BIOGRAPHY
Eleanor Lakelin’s work is exhibited internationally and featured in significant private and public collections, including the Museum of Arts and Design New York, USA; Victoria & Albert Museum, UK; Museum of London, UK; Mint Museum of Craft and Design, USA; the National Museum in Oslo, Norway and The Loewe Foundation. Most recently in 2024, her work was acquired by the Museum of Decorative Arts, Norway and the University for the Creative Arts, UK. Eleanor has received major commissions, such as the 2020 Reading Museum project supported by the CAS Rapid Response Fund and Frieze London. She has also been recognised with numerous accolades, including the 2018 QEST Scholarship, the 2017 British Wood Awards, Bespoke Category, and finalist status in the 2022 Loewe Craft Prize.
A connection to the past is profound in Eleanor Lakelin’s work; she is fascinated by wood as a living, breathing substance with its own history of growth and struggle, centuries beyond our own. Her sculptural objects made in Horse Chestnut are created using a traditional woodworking lathe and centuries-old chisels and gouges, alongside modern tools and carving techniques. Her vessels appear like archaeological objects pulled from the ground; classical forms are referenced and smooth surfaces, reminiscent of ossified matter, rhythmically yield to knotted sections of burr.
Engaging in sustainable practices, Eleanor works only with trees grown in Britain and felled due to decay. A deep knowledge and a passionate interest in the natural properties of wood result in forms that seem true to the spirit of the material and which encourage us to look at the complexities of nature with a new perspective. Material is transformed into objects that invite touch and reflection, reminding us of our emotional bond with wood and, in turn, our wider relationship to the elemental earth.
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Works
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SIGNATURE WORKS
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EXHIBITIONS
