Delightful shapes in wood and rattan
- Teresa’s rattan shapes and curved wood boxes take inspiration from nature
- She has developed her own technique to create compound curves in wood
- Humour and hints of whimsy and absurdity characterise her pieces
Teresa Audet works with wood and rattan to create pieces that feature organic shapes, natural colours and complex textures. After studying furniture design and interdisciplinary arts, she participated in artist residencies in the USA and Japan to develop her craft. Mentors including woodcarver Cecilia Schiller, sculptor Katie Hudnall and Japanese master craftsman Tak Yoshino, who taught her about Japanese woodworking tools and techniques, have deeply influenced Teresa’s working methods. “Without them, I would not be the eclectic wood artist I am today,” she says. Teresa’s varied production ranges from sculptural artworks made of wood and rattan to decorative items, such as boxes, vases and baskets.
INTERVIEW
I use standard equipment, and primarily hand tools like hand planes and gouges, when I can. As for the techniques, I have been developing my own, creating a bricklaying method to make organic compound curves. For this, I combine stack lamination, bricklaying curvature and hand tool shaping.
First, I soak the reed in water, then I use a twining technique or a random weave, letting the material itself guide the process. For mixed media sculptures, I generally start with the rattan form and then create a carved wood element that flows with the piece.
From forms found in nature such as bird’s nests, tree roots, cloud formations, animal patterns, Fibonacci spirals and microscopic views of brain cells. But I am also inspired by ancient crafts from around the world such as bee skep weaving, stone buildings, bark weavings, spoon carvings and folk art.
In a way, they do, even if it is not always obvious. My art pieces often contain tiny drawers or boxes that hint at functionality while adding a sense of playfulness to the work. Most of all, these elements tell a story, representing the interior world that people hide inside themselves.
