• Ernst works primarily with storm-fallen timber
• The drying of wood is part of his creative process
• He transformed one uprooted oak tree into 97 vessels and sculptural objects over 10 years

Ernst Gamperl approaches wood without the intention of control. Trained as a cabinetmaker, he began working independently as a woodturner while still questioning and testing the limits of the craft. He examines each tree to understand its age, fractures and internal stresses before taking it to the lathe. He adapts and builds his tools as needed, guided by what the tree will allow rather than by a fixed plan. "Working with wet wood became essential to my process, by allowing the objects to reach extreme thinness during the drying phase. The tree makes its own decision, and I continue from there,” explains Ernst. His approach gradually expanded what was considered possible in the field and opened up paths that others began to explore. His work has received awards including the LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize (2017) and the Danner Prize. In 2025, a retrospective exhibition and book publication marked 40 years of his practice. His works are held in collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.