Konrad Koppold

Woodturner

Decades of oak vessels

Konrad likes to turn his vessels on several axes
He is equal parts designer and craftsman
Wild oak is his preferred material

Konrad Koppold was raised on a farm. He learned how to turn wood during his carpentry apprenticeship and attended the University of Applied Sciences for Design in Augsburg, going on to study interior design in Rosenheim. Self-taught for decades, Konrad mastered the art of hollow turning and to work on very large objects. He explored different ways to achieve irregularities in turnable objects and clamped them in the lathes with a pivot point to obtain asymmetries. Konrad's wooden objects appear simple and sculptural at first glance. "The designer is always present in my work, along with the craftsman." In recent years, Konrad has gained a lot of attention for his innovative approach, fearless experiments and clear design language. With a vessel that he turned on four axes, he was among 30 finalists of the renowned LOEWE Prize in 2022.

Interview

How do you go about your work?: With a chainsaw, I cut planks from the tree. Before I start woodturning, I prepare a sketch. I then work on the wood intuitively. I use the lathe as well as other tools to sculpt and carve out the wood technically. As surface treatment, I like to use iron or ammonia which blacken the oak.
What is the reason behind your almost exclusive use of oak wood?: I am fascinated by the shape of old oak trees. I like the coarse-pored, sometimes wild grain of the wood, which offers great texture when brushed. Sometimes you get a leather-like finish when the vessels dry, which makes them very inviting to the touch.
Why do you think your work has been in the limelight recently?: In 2017 I won the MANUFACTUM State Prize in North Rhine-Westphalia for applied arts. Then, from 2017 to 2019 I lived in Lyon, in France but I left my turning machines and workshop in Germany. So I drew a lot and I conceptually created work that later won other prizes, such as the third place in the Hessian State Prize for applied arts in Germany.
How do you turn your very large objects?: My objects are turned on an old heavy-duty lathe. I want to consciously create asymmetrical objects, so after turning the upper part of a vessel I shift the rotary axis and proceed by turning further to finish the object. This idea is quite simple, the challenge is in executing it.

Konrad Koppold is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1985