Mike Groves, Yeoman of the Turners’ Company
Mike creates functional tableware – especially bowls – from found and foraged wood. Working in this way – sourcing material from the waste products of tree surgery – takes him into hidden nooks and corners of the city on little adventures off the beaten tracks. Logs are then chainsawed up into blanks and left to season for up to a year. Once dried, blanks are then turned on a lathe and sculpted with chisels and gouges into kitchenware that is made to be used, worn and loved – developing a patina over time that comes to reflect the habits and tastes of the owner. Designs for bowls, for example, are often inspired by Korean, Chinese and Japanese ceramics with tall, raised feet on the base to allow people to hold their bowl; to get up and close with the object and the food.
Mike was the winner of the Turners’ Award at Cockpit 2021
