Born in Germany in 1965, Ernst Gamperl is a self-taught artist and master craftsman of woodturning.  While training in carpentry, he turned to the lathe by chance, discovering his passion for wood.

Previously focusing on precious and exotic woods, Gamperl has come to prefer European wood, and works primarily in oak but also in ash, maple, beech and Italian olive tree.  

"I look for pieces of wood full of character with knots, irregular growth patterns, tears, breaks and interesting details.  With the fundamental structure of a piece of wood in mind I am then guided by the raw material and my emotions to bring out its beauty." — Gamperl

Turning wood when it is wet, Gamperl allows the final shapes of his pieces to be determined by the natural characteristics of the material.

He has received many awards for his talent, including the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize in 2017, and his work is viewable in such international public collections as The Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg, the National Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

 

Group Exhibitions

1. Small Works, Great Artists 15 February - 11 March 2022