In his wooden objects, Stijn Weski explores the boundaries between sculpture and furniture. His practice combines traditional woodworking craftsmanship with an intuitive, sculptural approach, in which he continuously seeks a balance between control and freedom. The material itself plays an active role in this process, helping to shape and guide the final form.
An essential part of his practice is wood clay, a self-developed material made from recycled wood dust and wood shavings. It allows him to essentially sculpt with wood, creating organic forms that contrast with the precision and control involved in working with solid timber. By reusing discarded wood shavings and sawdust, he gives wood waste a second life. Alongside this experimental material, he prefers to work with characterful timber sourced in the Netherlands, often from trees that were not specifically grown for furniture making.
Stijn’s work explores the relationship between craftsmanship, tradition, nature and the furniture that surrounds us in everyday life. Driven by a fascination with traditional wooden furniture, he seeks to reinterpret familiar designs and give them a contemporary perspective. Nature serves as an important source of inspiration, particularly the complex structures and forms that emerge through small, natural processes. By combining wood clay with traditional woodworking techniques, he brings together two seemingly contrasting approaches: the precision of craftsmanship and the intuitive freedom of sculpting.
The resulting furniture and objects reflect a close relationship between material, process and function. Nature remains a continuous source of inspiration, not as something to be literally imitated, but as a starting point for exploring form, structure and the processes through which they emerge.
Stijn graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam in 2025.
