John Lee

Cabinetmaker

©John Lee

From father to son

He draws inspiration from the Irish landscape and environment
His work contrasts smooth and textured surfaces
He designed the chair for Ireland’s President

He grew up surrounded by chests of drawers, tables, and chairs made by his father, a woodworker and technical drawing teacher. His grandfather was a carpenter. It seems that somehow, Lee didn’t have a choice about his vein of work. “There is a long association with wood in my family, I couldn’t even say if there was one particular moment in my life when I consciously decided to continue the tradition.” He graduated from The Furniture College in Ireland in 1993, and he opened his own workshop in 2004 in Maynooth, a small town in County Meath. He has exhibited extensively, both nationally and internationally. In 2015, he was awarded the Irish Design Award for Excellence and Innovation.

Interview

What are your current projects?: I’m inspired by naturally occurring geometric shapes. In my current work, I explore the enhancement of timber’s natural properties. I investigate textured finishes by exposing the timbers natural grain patterns through its dynamic forms.
Have you ever worked abroad?: I won a European scholarship, and my external examiner, Andrew Varah, invited me to work with him in the UK. It was six-month work placement, and I stayed for five years. When I came back to Ireland, I set up my workshop.
What’s the thing people usually don’t know about your work?: Just how long it takes me to design and make the pieces! For me the finished product must be a seamless balance between the construction, the form, and the function of the piece.
Can you tell us a memorable moment in your professional life?: Being awarded the commission to design and make the Irish Presidential Inauguration Chair for President Michael D. Higgins. The chair will be used for all future Irish presidential inaugurations and will play a part in the history of our state.

John Lee is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1993