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Matt Kavanagh / Designer Sculptor

@mattdiplomat

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Collectible craft, contemporary artefacts, future heirlooms.
Available works and commissions:
[email protected]

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Decorex is over and what a whirlwind of show. It was fantastic to share Making Spaces with such a talented bunch of artisans. Good luck!
@helenjohceramics
@nowshinprenon
@veritypulford
@loiusa_boyd
@epic_kin_designs
@rkceramics_
@zoewilsoncarving
@caracampbellart
@catherinehammerton
@garydrostle
@jarradbelton
@meganleech.design
@michelleoberdieck

#Decorex #britishcraft #contemporarysculpture #sustainableart #artisans taken in Kensington Olympia, London by @mattdiplomat

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2 days ago

Day 2 of Making Spaces at Decorex is open. Come see a top group of fabulous artisans sharing and demonstrating their skills. by @mattdiplomat

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6 days ago

The countdown to DECOREX has started. Putting the final touches on new work and getting ready for install.

Looking forward to demonstrating wood carving and sharing a selection of work from the Coordinates Collection of geo-located hardwood sculptures crafted from fallen trees.

Photo by @amitlennon
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#luxuryinteriordesign #contemporarycraft #interiorsinspiration #modernsculpture #centrepiece by @mattdiplomat

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10 days ago

This is the last week of "What is Precious?" a @design_nationuk show exploring sustainability and ethical practises in craft. Come see it at Waterside Arts in Sale and explore the work of 20 contemporary makers who are rethinking the value of materials through innovative craft and design.

The exhibition is presented in partnership with the @creative_industries_ Photos by @richard.foot & @amitlennon

Selected Artists
@janebevanartist / @lizblyth_designs / @carolinebrogden / @tracycaldah_art / @nerissact / @eechanjewellery / @m.dcoupland / @su_france_designs / @kerry_hastings_ceramics / @yukajourdainjewellery / @kasasagi.design / @mattdiplomat / @joannelambstudio / @hannahlaneartworks / @pennymaltbymaker / @mandynash / @lucyjnewman / @designsbykathrynstevens / @rosalindstoddart / @carolavandyke / balanced_earth_norfolk

#sustainablecraft #contemporarysculpture #artwithnarrative #collectibledesign #moderncraftmanship taken in Sale, Greater Manchester by @mattdiplomat

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19 days ago

I’m thrilled to have been selected as one of the 14 artisans taking part in MAKING SPACES at DECOREX this year, a show dedicated to luxury interior design. I will be demonstrating wood carving and sharing a selection of work from the Coordinates Collection of geo-located hardwood sculptures crafted from fallen trees.
Come and say hello. 11-14 October at Olympia London.
Photo by @amitlennon
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#luxuryinteriordesign #contemporarycraft #interiorsinspiration #modernsculpture #centrepiece Sourced from a fallen London trees, these found urban hardwood pieces are the latest contemporary sculptures from Matt Kavanagh. Designed as statement sculptures for luxury interior art collections, they explore organic abstraction and highly resolved surface detailing. by @mattdiplomat

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a month ago

Surface contouring this new Coordinates piece made from bay wood using a Japanese rasp c/o @dowjonesarchitects Super sharp and creates lovely shavings. The final piece should be on display at @decorex_international next month. Timber c/o @gallery_475
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#contemporarycraft #urbantimber #sculpture #sustainableart #Decorex taken in London, United Kingdom by @mattdiplomat

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a month ago

Very pleased to share a selection of the work I've been invited to include in "What is Precious?" a Design Nation show exploring sustainability and ethical practises in craft. It's taking place now at Waterside Arts in Sale and features 20 contemporary makers who are rethinking the value of materials through innovative craft and design.

These small hand carved table top vessels are made from a very old oak beam rescued from a demolished building near the Thames in Deptford. Each piece is inscribed with the coordinates of the building location where the beam came from. The location of the tree before that is a mystery of course, felled probably 140 years ago. An interrupted narrative of archaeological craft. They are part of a wider collection of functional sculpture called Coordinates.
Photo by @amitlennon

The exhibition is presented in partnership with the @creative_industries_

Selected Artists
@janebevanartist / @lizblyth_designs / @carolinebrogden / @tracycaldah_art / @nerissact / @eechanjewellery / @m.dcoupland / @su_france_designs / @kerry_hastings_ceramics / @yukajourdainjewellery / @kasasagi.design / @mattdiplomat / @joannelambstudio / @hannahlaneartworks / @pennymaltbymaker / @mandynash / @lucyjnewman / @designsbykathrynstevens / @rosalindstoddart / @carolavandyke / balanced_earth_norfolk

#sustainablecraft #contemporarysculpture #artwithnarrative #collectibledesign #moderncraftmanship Giving urban trees a second life, history carved in wood, tension between nature and city. Eco-conscious art, urban forestry narrative, local material history, brutalist organic, minimalist wooden form. taken in Sale, Greater Manchester by @mattdiplomat

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2 months ago

Collecting a couple of freshly cut massive lime trunks. These 140kg lumps of timber were rolled back to the studio. Despite the endless hot dry weather they were dripping water all the way. So the first step was de-barking them to help dry out the outer layer and get rid of many of the creatures that had made it their home.
Looking forward to carving them.
#greenwood #sustainablecraft #southlondonforest #logpile #contemporarysculpture Green wood trunk freshly felled and forages in South London waiting to be carved into a timber sculpture for Decorex luxury interior fair. taken in Deptford London by @mattdiplomat

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2 months ago

We are thrilled to announce that ‘What is Precious?’ is returning to @watersidearts_ in a 3rd iteration of our acclaimed touring exhibition.

Originally developed through Design-Nation’s Sustainability and Ethical Practice group, the exhibition brings together the work of 20 contemporary makers who are rethinking the value of materials through innovative craft and design.

The exhibition is presented in partnership with the @creative_industries_

Selected Artists
@janebevanartist / @lizblyth_designs / @carolinebrogden / @tracycaldah_art / @nerissact / @eechanjewellery / @m.dcoupland / @su_france_designs / @kerry_hastings_ceramics / @yukajourdainjewellery / @kasasagi.design / @mattdiplomat / @joannelambstudio / @hannahlaneartworks / @pennymaltbymaker / @mandynash / @lucyjnewman / @designsbykathrynstevens / @rosalindstoddart / @carolavandyke / @balanced_earth_norfolk

#DesignNation
#WhatisPrecious
#WatersideArts taken in Waterside Arts by @mattdiplomat

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3 months ago

London Plane narrow sphere. Carved from a foraged London Plane tree that once shaped a particular corner of the city. Its precise geographic coordinates are permanently inscribed into the work, preserving the location where the tree stood for decades before becoming a sculpture.
The Coordinates collection transforms urban hardwoods into objects that carry the memory of place as much as the character of the timber itself. Every split, grain and curve beocmes a record of both the tree's life and the making process.

photos @amitlennon
#contemporarySculpture #CollectibleDesign #LuxuryInteriors #ArtCollectors #ModernCraftsmanship Hand-carved London Plane narrow sphere sculpture by Matt Kavanagh from the Coordinates collection. The sculptural wooden form highlights the natural grain and warm tones of reclaimed London Plane timber, creating a refined collectible design object suited to luxury interiors, contemporary architecture and curated living spaces. taken in South London by @mattdiplomat

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3 months ago

Hand carving and finishing is the more considered and mediative flip side to machine carving. Slowly chipping away the bits that don’t belong to the final piece.
The Coordinates collection are all carved from fallen trees and engraved with the geo-coordinates of where each tree stood.
Full video available on news section of website. Link in bio.
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Film @amitlennon
#collectibledesign #contemporarycraft #luxuryinteriorstyling #sustainableart #modernsculpture taken in London, United Kingdom by @mattdiplomat

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3 months ago

These two collectible vessels are now available at @_mintshop_ gallery (link in bio). Both part of the Coordinates collection of functional craft artefacts. Carved from foraged green cherry wood sourced in South London, each piece is engraved with GPS coordinates of where the tree grew, preserving the provenance of the sculpture. Sitting at the intersection of contemporary craft, sculpture and environmental storytelling.
Pics: @amitlennon
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#galleryreadyart #contemporarysculpture #collectiblecraft #luxuryinteriorstyling #modernheirloom Coordinates is an ongoing body of collectible functional sculpture that explores how material can retain a sense of place, memory and identity. Each piece begins with a tree that has fallen within London's urban landscape. Rather than becoming anonymous timber, it is transformed into an object that continues to tell the story of where it grew. Working exclusively with locally foraged hardwoods, I allow the character of each tree to direct the making process. Some pieces are carved while the timber is still green, encouraging movement and natural splits to emerge as part of the finished form. Others are patiently seasoned before carving to reveal a different relationship between material and maker. I embrace these behaviours rather than resisting them. Where repair becomes part of the work, I use a hand-made pine resin adhesive created from resin gathered from local pine trees, ensuring the act of repair remains rooted in the same landscape as the timber itself. by @mattdiplomat

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3 months ago