Coordinates

A collection of functional sculpture

In his latest body of work, Matt Kavanagh presents Coordinates, a growing collection of functional sculpture, crafted from locally foraged urban hardwoods. Each piece is a unique collaboration between maker artist and material with trees salvaged from the city's many green spaces becoming vessels of memory, geography and craftsmanship.

Kavanagh’s process begins with the selection of timber, often sourced in the vicinity of his South London studio. The wood is shaped using a range of traditional and modern tools, from the brute force of chainsaws to the precision of chisels. Some pieces are worked while the wood is green, intentionally allowing splits to emerge as part of the form’s evolution. Others are patiently seasoned before carving begins, their stability giving rise to more predictable behaviour.

In a nod to the Japanese art of kintsugi, fractures and imperfections are embraced, honoured rather than hidden. In some pieces splits proudly define the aesthetic. In others they are repaired using a pine resin glue, that is hand-made from resin collected from nearby pine trees. Elevating each object’s narrative and emphasising resilience and repair.

Surfaces are resolved through an array of finishes: fine sanding, oiling, waxing and even the elemental intervention of fire. The result is a tactile richness that both reveals and respects the timber’s origin.

Every work is inscribed with the coordinates of its species and where the timber was discovered, anchoring it to a specific location where for many decades the tree defined its urban surroundings. These pieces are not just sculptures—they are geographic relics, transformed through craft into enduring, functional forms.

Coordinates is both a homage to the constantly evolving natural history of the urban environment and a testament to the enduring dialogue between maker and material.