Choice Awards at Woodturning Connect Master’s Exhibition
Nathanael Griffiths Continuity Rings
Nathanael Griffiths, Choice Award by the V&A
At the Company’s landmark exhibition ‘Woodturning Connect’ in October 2023, we invited twenty-one leading wood artists to create pieces that reflected their interpretation of the Coronation. We then asked two curators from the Victoria & Albert Museum, Nick Humphrey and Laura Chase to make their ‘choice award’ and they decided to apply three criteria: the artist’s interpretation of the subject, their skill in execution and their innovation in the use of materials.
The award went to Nathaniel Griffiths a 20-year-old turner from Cheshire. His piece ’Continuity Rings’ is a sculpture of four interlocking toruses in oak, representing the four nations of the UK with the circular shapes reflecting the enduring nature of monarchy. Nathaniel used 2,048 segments of wood in the piece, which he says represent the rich diversity of people in each nation.
Nathaniel began turning at the age of 13 and two years later won the Young Turner of the year award from the Guild of Master Craftsmen. He has exhibited at the Royal Academy’s Young Artists’ summer shows, and was a runner up at the Company’s ‘Wizardry in Wood’ competitions in 2021. In 2022, he received a bursary from the Company to undertake further training. As we went to press, he was competing in series 3 of ‘Britain’s Best Woodworker’ on Channel 4.
Carlyn Lindsay, 21st Century Orb
Carlyn Lindsay, Choice Award by the People
‘2Ist Century Orb’ is Carlyn’s hand turned and laminated interpretation of one part of the Crown Jewels. A lidded box comprises seven elements representing the continents of the world, and 195 separate pieces represent the countries which make up our world today. The hemisphere laminations play on latitude and longitude. The north pole finial with its flare of light, and an equatorial silver band, symbolise the concept of ‘holding our world together’…so we better look after it.
Carlyn Lindsay, known for her striking laminated pieces, trained at Wolverhampton School of Art and has a BA (Hons) in 3D art and design. She is a full-time designer-maker.
Full catalogue of all artists in the Master’s Exhibition Catalogue available here (pdf).
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