Granular detail

In work that explores texture and variation, wood artist Darren Appiagyei showcases the natural beauty of his raw materials warts and all

- DIANA WOOLF F

Darren Appiagyei's wooden vessels force the viewer to look at trees in a new light. Instead of working like a conventional woodturner and smoothing out the flaws in the wood, Darren highlights them. "My work is dictated by the imperfections, those cracks, those grains, those burrs, those barks," he says. "I try to enhance those features that make the wood so beautiful and encourage people to look at it in a different way." Darren first came across woodturning by accident while studying 3D design at Camberwell College of Arts. Set the task of learning a new skill, he spotted that the lathe was never used, and he realised that this was an opportunity to complete his learning task without waiting to use more popular equipment.