Matthew Lo
Medium: Wood
Location: Richmond
Member Since: 2024
ABOUT
Despite coming from a family of medical practitioners and business owners, I’ve always had an artistic bent. Because I've loved to make things and work with my hands from a young age, I resolved to make a career for myself as a creative. Over the years, I've worked in various fields and mediums—such as music, hairdressing, and food—but none ever fit quite right. It wasn’t until I encountered woodturning that I felt I finally found the medium through which I could truly express myself.
There’s an indescribable peace that comes with woodturning. As the wood spins and shavings fly, a woodturner takes something grown over years and years and shapes it into something new so that it might have a second life. Whether it’s a salad bowl or a worry stone, I fondly remember each piece and the tree it came from. When I'm in my workshop, the rest of the world falls away and all that’s left is myself and the piece engaged in a silent conversation, trying to reconcile my intentions with what the wood wants to be. I make each piece with the desire to share this calm, comforting feeling with everyone who sees and handles them.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Using salvaged local hardwoods, my work is all about highlighting wood's natural beauty through functional and multifaceted designs. Inspired by the simple forms and captivating textures and colours of Japanese woodworking, my focus is to make each piece both mesmerising to look at and delightful to handle. Every turn brings out the unique character of the wood, making my work a joy to create and share.