New Radical Ways with Wood

Designer Charlotte Perriand called it “Madam Wood”, signifying her love of the material. The Japanese architect Kengo Kuma talks of its fluidity, “almost like the human body, it can provide warmth and softness”. Wood has been sacred in design, art and architecture for centuries. In the hands of the latest creatives it is being explored in ever more inventive ways. US artist Jesse Schlesinger refers to the material as both “a tool and a teacher”. The second-generation carpenter, who resides in San Francisco, works primarily with salvaged wood. His relationship with the material goes back to his childhood. “My first interactions with wood were with my [carpenter] father. I’d join him on jobsites, sweeping up the sawdust and learning how to work with it,” he recalls. “What I hope resonates with my work today is this lifetime of engagement and a profound appreciation for wood as a material and a living thing.”

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