WHEN DID YOUR CONNECTION TO WOOD BEGIN, AND WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS MATERIAL? 

I’ve been working with my hands since I was a kid. My dad was a builder and I used to go to work with him on my holidays sometimes, which I think sparked my love of making. I’ve always had an appreciation for the natural beauty of timber but I would say my love is not only for just for wood but for creating and designing. 

 

ORSO’S PIECES HAVE A NATURAL, MINIMALIST AESTHETIC. HOW DID YOU DEVELOP THIS UNIQUE APPROACH TO WORKING WITH WOOD?

Sometimes I find that the timber doesn’t need too much, if anything at all to be beautiful. I really love simplicity in design but also functionality

 

WERE ANY PARTICULAR CRAFTSMEN, MENTORS, OR ARTISTS WHO INFLUENCED YOUR WOODWORKING JOURNEY?

My dad was a big influence on some of my approach but his influence was probably more from a functionality side and construction as he was a builder.  

Design wise i really love woodworkers like George Nakishima. He was a Japanese American architect turned furniture maker. He often mixed traditional joinery and clean lines with a lot of natural live edge timber and i really appreciate that. The wabi-sabi approach. Beauty in the chaos. 

 

CAN YOU SHARE A PIVOTAL MOMENT WHEN YOU REALISED WOODWORKING WOULD BECOME YOUR LIFE'S PASSION?

I have a bit of an unquenchable desire to make things all the time. I actually had to make a big table for my wife’s shop quite a few years ago in which we used a few big raw slabs of timber. Just being in the big timber yard where we bought it all excited me so much I couldn’t go back. I’ve since worked with another furniture maker who showed me a lot of finesse and fine detail but I really love to mix that with the rawness and natural beauty of timber

 

About the Artist:

WHAT ARE THREE ELEMENTS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT, BOTH AS AN ARTIST AND PERSONALLY?

Personally would be my family, God and really good food.

  

IF YOU COULD ONLY KEEP ONE OF YOUR WOOD CREATIONS, WHICH ONE WOULD IT BE, AND WHY DOES IT HOLD SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR YOU?

The XL Serving platter. I find it’s the platter I reach for when entertaining. I love the hand-carved form and details. Great for porchetta and roast potatoes. Or a big cheese board. 

  

YOUR WORK OFTEN FEATURES CLEAN LINES AND A NEUTRAL PALETTE. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THESE ELEMENTS IN WOOD THAT RESONATE WITH YOU ON A DEEPER LEVEL?

I think that like I’ve said previously that I love simplicity in design. 

Wood is naturally already beautiful and doesn’t need much interruption. 

On the last table I made I was actually sad to cut into the slabs cause it was already a masterpiece.

But then when I shaped it and finished it was very beautiful. It’s a constant battle

 

Creative Process:

HOW DO YOU BEGIN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? 

Most of the time it’s with a pencil and paper or my iPad and pencil. I often wake up with a design in my head. I can normally see it in my mind, but getting it from there out is sometimes hard.

And then Sometimes when I need something like with the boards I just start making with the functionality in mind and it just turns out like it does. I’m finding with design that your pieces always have a similar element in them even if that’s not what you intended when you started out and I think that is part of the beauty of design and when you start to see your personal style. 

 

YOUR PIECES BLEND FORM WITH FUNCTION BEAUTIFULLY. HOW DO YOU BALANCE CREATING OBJECTS THAT ARE BOTH AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND PRACTICAL?

Thankyou! I think for our furniture, functionality is a big element that almost begins the process of the design. Then making it beautiful is the fun part.

 

WHAT TECHNIQUES HAVE YOU DEVELOPED OVER TIME TO ACHIEVE THE SMOOTH FINISHES AND NATURAL BEAUTY OF YOUR WOOD PIECES?

Hours and hours of sanding! The natural beauty of timber why I love working with it. It does most of it just by itself

 

HOW HAS YOUR WOODWORKING TECHNIQUE EVOLVED, AND HOW DOES THAT GROWTH REFLECT IN ORSO STORE’S CURRENT DESIGNS?

I think like anything you do it’s just putting in the hours. You hone your skills over time and experience. Ive come from a construction background and also worked for another furniture maker. I would say my techniques are constantly evolving. 

I suppose as they evolve it definitely opens new doors in the way you approach a design and in the way you look at a design. As you develop and master skills it makes things possible that you probably wouldn’t have done previously. Which definitely adds a different element to your design process 

 

 

WHERE DO YOU TYPICALLY CREATE YOUR PIECES, AND HOW DOES YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT SHAPE THE CREATIVE PROCESS?

I’ve got a workshop at my home. It’s great for the convenience and tranquil haven for me to work in. It is a blessing, but I am constantly thinking about a bigger space to work in.

 

 

Technical Questions:

WHAT TYPES OF WOOD DO YOU PREFER WORKING WITH, AND WHAT QUALITIES DO THESE WOODS BRING TO YOUR DESIGNS?

I’ve mainly worked with hardwoods Australian and a few American. Every different species tends to have its own different characteristics. The American species behave a bit better movement wise, but I like the idea of using Australian, and always try to source locally. I’ve also done a bit of work with camphor laurel which is an introduced species to Australia and is a softwood and is considered a weed, but the grain patterns are so beautiful.

The different timbers probably don’t affect my designs so much as they affect the process of the making of the piece.

 

DO YOU INCORPORATE TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING TECHNIQUES INTO YOUR PRACTICE, OR HAVE YOU DEVELOPED MORE MODERN, INNOVATIVE METHODS? 

Sometimes when working on different pieces you need to apply different traditional methods. Such as different types of joinery and I do like when I have to do that. But in general modern power tools are definitely more efficient 

 

 

Inspirations and Challenges:

HOW DO YOU HANDLE CREATIVE BLOCKS OR MOMENTS WHEN INSPIRATION FEELS OUT OF REACH?

I cant say that I’ve reached a place where I’ve felt blocks as such. 

I would say more I definitely have moments where I haven’t found the right design yet. But I know it’s in there somewhere and I know when I have found it. I actually really love this experience of searching for it. 

I do find this world of design to be a very vulnerable place. Because it’s an expression of yourself and To put yourself out there is quite a thing. It’s exciting and scary at the same time

 

 

HOW HAS YOUR VISION FOR ORSO STORE EVOLVED, AND WHAT FUTURE DIRECTIONS DO YOU SEE FOR YOUR WORK AND THE BRAND?

It’s becoming clearer the further we go. I had a desire to make furniture and just make things in general. 

I also love food and to cook for my family and friends and love bringing everyone together which I think stems from my heritage. My Dad is Māori and my mum is part Italian, so Family is huge, and everything in both cultures, and they both love a good feed! 

I love the idea that my pieces can contribute to these things and bring people and families together 

Some of the best times in life with family and friends are around a table feasting, which is what I want to facilitate. 

All our boards and platters are things I’ve just made to use in our own family for when we have these occasions. 

I see Orso to not just be timber furniture but also incorporate other pieces and things that help contribute to this idea and that’s why that’s our ethos. Bringing people together and room for one more around the table culture. Everyone’s welcome!

I’m currently designing some outdoor pieces and a fire-pit which we will hopefully have soon. Just another gathering space