When Cornish craft comes to Norway
- Matthew's work combines carved curves, balanced proportions and clean joinery
- Trained in Cornwall, he now works in Norway, where the landscape feeds his designs
- He uses a variety of techniques and approaches to respond creatively to each client brief
In Stavanger, British furniture maker Matthew John Coutts works from an 18th-century workshop once occupied by cabinetmaker Nikolai Tjensvoll. Since 2016, Matthew has focused on custom commissions, with each brief guiding how a piece unfolds. “I like to work creatively and instinctively within the client’s boundaries,” he says. “It's important to me to keep pleasure in the making process every time.” Trained in Cornwall through formal study and an apprenticeship with Scott Woyka, Matthew developed a rigorous command of the craft, from disciplined joinery to curving constructions. The Norwegian landscape forms the backdrop to his designs today. “The environment here is bold and powerful,” he notes. “That presence carries into my practice, from fluid movement to pieces resolved through straight lines and symmetry.”
Interview
- What first drew you to woodworking?
- I have always had an affinity for wooden objects, whether toys, ornaments, or sticks. It was when I began a furniture making course that my eyes were opened to the breadth of what woodworking could offer, and I gained the skills needed to begin my journey in this craft.
- How does your work fit within the wider Scandinavian design tradition?
- Ironically, since moving to Norway, my work has become much less Scandinavian. There is an abundance of beautiful Danish, Swedish and Norwegian furniture already, so people come to me when they are looking for something a little different.
- When does a piece feel complete to you?
- Knowing when something is right is instinctive and, of course, subjective. I only design in 2D, though I visualise the whole piece in my mind and constantly turn ideas over. As I make a piece, it is important to stay free to adapt, making small adjustments in response to the materials and new ideas as they arise.
- What is it like to source and work with materials in Norway?
- Well dried native timbers can be hard to come by, but when you do they are beautiful. I have milled and dried local elm, cherry, oak and ash myself, and being able to create furniture from them has been very rewarding.
Matthew John Coutts is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2008
Where
Matthew John Coutts
