Toni Porto

Woodturner

©Dosmasenlamesa

Turning up for sea-inspired creatures

Toni is an object artist inspired by animist art
Sketching is a key part of his creative process
He was finalist at the 2024 Cheongju Craft Biennale in a collaboration with Henar Iglesias

Many hours of dedicated solitary work, sketching and exploration in his studio have been essential for Toni Porto to create his distinctive wood sculptures. Perfect spheres or sea-like urchins morph from his woodturning technique and deep understanding of materials. Toni studied Applied Arts at the Arts and Crafts School of Madrid and explored illustration and painting before committing to woodwork. His great drawing abilities are evident in his project sketch books, which equally deserve recognition. Toni's intuitive creations are exhibited across Europe in galleries in Norway, Switzerland, Germany, as well as in the USA where he was selected for Masters of Contemporary Art in 2020, at Wood Symphony Gallery. In recent years he has partaken in collaborations with Spanish collectives which have earned him much praise and visibility.

Interview

©Dosmasenlamesa

©Dosmasenlamesa

What is the relationship between seclusion and your creative process?: I prefer isolation to evade external influences that may impinge on my free creation. There is so much information on the internet, that you may end up doubting if an idea was originally yours or not. It is most probable, though, that it already exists in nature.
Do you regularly train apprentices?: I began to teach others in the early 2000s and enjoy it very much. Since my work is solitary, I prefer to transmit on a one-on-one basis. This allows a high level of intense concentration. I have had students from various nationalities and backgrounds and currently have two apprentices working in my studio.
What are the greatest challenges you encounter in working with wood?: Green wood has the final say in its transformation process as it dries. It has a soul and intention and will continue moving uncontrollably until it dries. Working in Madrid’s dry environment is quite a challenge. This is why I also have a workshop in Galicia, where it is humid and I can source and prepare my wood before working on it in Madrid.
Where do you draw your inspiration and what is your differentiating quality?: Nature is my greatest source of inspiration and I continuously reinterpret it. My pieces often carry a connotation of marine life deriving from my close family ties to the sea. The unique forms I create are my greatest characteristic. Thorn-like bulges, dovetails, fine needle finishes, or base mini legs turned in the same wood to give the piece stability, are all signature traits of my work.

Toni Porto is a master artisan: he began his career in 2000 and he started teaching in 2004