• Christoph creates objects with playful elements using salvaged wood
• The first objects he made were a set of chairs for a university campus café
• He chooses natural wood finishes over synthetic lacquers

While working for a roofing company during his gap year at 19 years old, Christoph Kurzmann found his calling as a craftsman. "I was helping a carpenter transform a loft. I quickly realised that I had a natural affinity for working with wood," he says. Christoph moved from his native Austria to the UK, and started an apprenticeship with master cabinetmaker Petter Southall. This was a seminal moment in his journey. He learned the foundations of woodworking, steam-bending techniques and the principles that still inspire and define his work. "Driven by the same enthusiasm I had in the early days of my craft, I still love working with my hands," explains Christoph. "I enjoy spending time in the workshop surrounded by my tools and exploring ideas that become tangible."