Bill Hadfield
My intention has always been to be a dedicated chairmaker and not to be side tracked into making other, possibly more profitable items, like tables. Starting in 1979 with basic stick chairs, then Windsor chairs, Shaker chairs and other traditional styles, and into the realm of sculptural chairs working with naturally weird and wonderful timber to create functional art, letting nature tell her story. Culminating in the extraordinary and beautiful hollow tree chairs.
A few years ago The Osaka Folkcraft Museum put on an exhibition of Folkcraft that was to include work from all over the world. They requested me to make and send chairs as representative of English Chairmaking. Also over a four-year period I taught a Japanese youth the skills of making English Country Chairs. He now has a thriving business in Japan.
I am most proud of more than 20 years chairmaking being my only source of income - not teaching or writing about chairmaking but earning a living from it.
Date of Birth:
Associations:
Awards:
Commissions: Although I have made chairs for titled and famous people I do not wish to publish names, as a matter of confidentiality.
Education:
Group Exhibitions:
Solo Exhibitions:
Travel: Nationally, Yes Internationally, Yes
Press Quotes: Press coverage ranges from way back in March 1983 with a large picture of my work in ‘THE LADY’, through ‘The Farmers Weekly’ in 1997 to the Daily Express SATURDAY magazine earlier this year. HTV coverage of a one-man exhibition of my work.
Maker's Statement:
I have a strong desire to ensure people know the individuality, character and aesthetically pleasing effect which the human eye and hand can put into a piece of furniture. To quote from the founder of the Japan Folkcraft Movement Soetsu Yanagi:
"No machine can compare with a man's hands. Machinery gives speed, power, complete uniformity and precision, but it cannot give creativity, adaptability, freedom, heterogeneity. Man prefers the creative and the free to the fixed and standardized."
The undoubted joy in this work is being able to reveal what has already been created - the beauty of wood.
Studio visits are welcome.
Commissioning Procedure
Chairs are made in response to the piece of wood or tree. I do not often design first. Mostly I make a chair that pleases me and then offer it for sale. I will make a chair for a client in a particular timber but cannot respond to individual design ideas.
I will travel to a client’s to look at the suitability of a venue
Pricing Policy
The price of the finished chair is exclusive of delivery.
VAT Registered: No
