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Philip Gay

Trading as Timber Robot Studio, Philip uses beautiful woodwork to create impactful furniture, homeware and boxes.

PHILIP'S WORK IS ALL ABOUT PRECISION WOODWORK, PLAYFUL DESIGN AND COLLECTIBLE PIECES.

Philip has always enjoyed working with wood. When finishing school, he considered pursuing a career in furniture design, but a model-making degree piqued his interest and took him in a different direction. This led him to a career in the creative industries, creating window displays, designing models for toy inventors, and building props for films. The origin of 'Timber Robot' is a strong childhood memory of being unable to buy a toy plastic robot that was filled with gadgets. Philip took it upon himself to make his own wooden version, and during this process realised the joy of creating his own ideas.

Near the end of 2020 Philip turned his attention and skills towards crafting something that would have longevity, that could be treasured. He made beautiful chopping boards, and a small table using leftover kitchen tiles - this would become the piece '4 Sticks'. In 2021 he started to design his second piece, 'Invasion MK1', and during this process he felt drawn to undergo more focused training. His aim was to immerse himself in woodwork, with a desire to create more objects which could live on within people's homes.

Philip balances the natural warmness of wood with the coolness of metal, mixing in contrasting timbers which are sourced from local timber yards. He loves the process of creating, especially when the design is still evolving, often making mockups to try an idea out, designing through making rather than just using a computer. Any part of the build that lets Philip use a hand plane is a joy to him; he finds that a sharp blade taking wafer-thin shavings without the noise of power tools can become quite meditative. Bringing together the various components and seeing them slot together into a greater whole, that first look at what he has created, is a great moment of satisfaction.

Author's Choice

AUTHOR was drawn to Philip’s work as it sits firmly within the Functional Art category, which AUTHOR adores. His highly skilled execution of playful design is a reflection of his previous life as a prop maker and he has an innate love of craft and precision. His modernist approach to clean lines and simple shapes is an aesthetic. Jane says, ‘Each piece is intelligent and a joy to behold.’

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