People / Cam Rowley
Cam Rowley is an emerging furniture designer and maker based in London. His work aims to celebrate wood as a material. At the centre of his practice is the belief that handmade objects have soul, and add value to everyday life. He is dedicated to shifting the perceptions of craft. By pulling back the curtain on traditional techniques, he hopes to give them new life, crafting refined pieces with subtle nods to woodworking heritage. Cam believes wood is infinitely versatile and works to explore new ways to use the material. From his workshop in South London, he hand crafts unique pieces which are guided by these principles.
A Seat at the Table: Chair 3
A stool exploring Rowley’s heritage, inspired by traditional European carved folk furniture and Southern African ‘shweshwe’ fabric. The carved symbols on European folk furniture all have meanings and are a form of prayer and story telling, and would have been carved by ordinary people, rather than skilled craftsmen. ‘Shweshwe’, commonly referred to as the ‘tartan’ of South Africa, is a traditional dyed cotton fabric originally worn by Xhosa and Sotho brides, now used widely across cultures.