Geoff Hannis

Geoff is a former engineer turned pole-lathe wood-turner. He desired a life away from a desk, and the chance to be more creative, and for seven years now, he has been a full-time maker. In 2024 he became a QEST Emerging Maker and studied the art of stop-turning, urushi lacquer and tool forging. His time in recent years has been focused on improving the ergonomics of the lathe and rediscovering the knowledge lost when this Heritage Craft nearly died out.

Geoff has recently been applying the art of steam-bending to pre-turned objects. A while ago he realised that these two skills lent themselves to candlestick designs typically made of metal. Of the subsequent series of creations, two are being shown here: the original Candelabra, and the third in the series, Interconnected.

In both cases the green ash wood was turned at both ends, before the central section was thinned using a drawknife, bent into shape, and held in a jig. Once set, each piece was released and the tenons shaped, before assembly into the sculptures you see today.