Silas Birtwistle is a furniture designer, specialising in found driftwood and meticulously using each discovery within his work. One of his greatest works is "A Table From The Sea’s Edge", which was crafted using driftwood collected from the four corners of the world. Silas also holds a MA in Furniture Design and has exhibited at The London Art Fair, The Metropole Arts Centre, The Henley Art Festival and the Orleans House Gallery. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Silas Birtwistle.
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
I struggle with the term style, but would say that my work has a context or story behind it, not necessarily explicit, but made with some thought shall I say.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
Examine what I have to work with and the nature of the materials in front of me. From then on, I try to make something as beautiful, as simple and as well made as possible.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
Probably my Dad, who has one of the greatest creative minds this country has ever seen. He seems to look at the world in a different way to the rest of us! His music is often complex, but always very lyrical, and I like to think that I identify with that.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
In some sense, I think I probably do look for inspiration, quite literally as I walk along and scour coastlines around the world. It is amazing what you find and who you meet quite by chance.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
A very exciting point in my career is just about to happen with the auction of my driftwood table and chairs (A Table From The Seas Edge) at Summers Place Auctions on 23rd June, 2015. My advice to people is what I told my daughter, who is doing her A levels at the moment: often in life when you really want something hard enough, the chances are that you will get it.
