fabulous furniture ― stuart williams

Furniture crafted by Handmark’s Stuart Williams is coveted as an artform. Now two of his signature pieces, along with some small newer additions, are on show in the Gallery.

Stuart views furniture through the lens of an artist. Each piece is expressive with a life of its own. Take his much-loved George Lamp named after Stuart’s grandfather. With its tall and sleek wooden arm “it’s sophisticated just like him.” Then, there is his beautifully curved Huertos Chair, made from blackwood and inspired by a recent Spanish sojourn. Named after Stuart’s Madrid suburb, it is imbued with a European aesthetic and has been painstakingly engineered for comfort.

But the star of this show could appear in much smaller form. Stuart has also made a series of little wooden sculptures called Standing in Place for Us. He calls these “humble little gestures” which remind us “about the true value of humanity, and the need for us to look within to find our sense of belonging.”

True to the humble intent, Stuart uses bits and pieces of scrap wood to craft these small, simple figurines, their heads bowed in reflection: “Standing in Place for Us are totems, gestures, reminders and monuments of forgotten place. Our place, and the place within where true values of humanity exist.”

Stuart Williams designs are on display in the Gallery.