Detail of a vessel from the ‘Pathways’ series. All images © Oliver Chalk, shared with permission
Hewn from solid hunks of found timber, ’s vessels () embrace the natural grain and gradients of different types of wood to reveal voluminous functional sculptures. Using remnants of fallen trees like ash, cypress, maple, and cherry, Chalk hand-carves bold ribs and lines redolent of contours on topographic maps. He takes cues from the distinctive characteristics of each piece of wood, responding to the specimen’s unique texture, hardness, hue, and innate patterns. Maple burl, for example, which is a growth in the tree’s bark that creates dense, swirling, eye-like motifs, led to an elegant piece peppered with small holes and knots.
Chalk has been working with timber for about three years, teaching himself various techniques and experimenting with different types of wood. He has just been awarded funding from the —an initiative that supports British craftspeople through education and apprenticeships—to explore new terrain: bronze. This fall, he embarks on a training program at with artist and foundry manager to learn bronze casting and patinating techniques to recreate his thrown vessels in metal.
Chalk’s work is included in the group exhibition Earth Materials at in Arundel, West Sussex, through June 10 and Spring Collection ’23 at in Ockley, Surrey. Find more on his and on .
Detail of a vessel from the ‘Earth Materials’ series
‘Earth Materials’ collection
Warped maple burl vessel
Charred surface on cypress
Cypress vessel in progress
Left: Sycamore vessel. Right: Detail of textured ash vessel
Vessels “One” and “Two” in the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden Spring/Summer 2023 collection
Cherry vessel
Ash vessel
Detail of vessel “One” in the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden Spring/Summer 2023 collection
Roughing out a large cypress vessel
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