Trevor Clement Artist

Artist Statement

Passion for working with timber started at Margaret River High School with Ian Thwaites as my teacher. When I graduated, I did a Cabinet Making apprenticeship and worked with solid timber instead of melamine. After completing my apprenticeship, I worked with Rob Malcolm at Design Wood. Over my working life I have done fine furniture work and also building work, and even some hardware retail.

More recently I have purchased some machinery which has allowed me to start using the timbers I have been collecting over the years. My passion for making fine furniture has been re-ignited and I have taken inspiration from the Japanese craft of Yosegi. Although the boxes I create are completely different from Yosegi, they still represent the Asanoha you see in Yosegi boxes.

I have a love of timber in it’s raw form, I can see the potential in every piece and I enjoy creating works which allows others to view the beauty. Moreso with rare timbers and grains such as burl and curly grains which traditionally would have been burned by the Settlers of this area due to the difficulty in processing.

I work out of my shed in the backyard of our home in Cowaramup which we purchased in 2013. I have always dreamed of a time when I could go into my own workspace and create, and now I have the freedom and space to go into the shed before or after a day at work on a building site.

I am enjoying finding local timbers and creating functional items that will last a lifetime.