Collection: Andreas Kratschmer

Born and raised in Germany, Andreas Krätschmer holds a Bachelor Degree in Audiovisual Media from the University of Applied Sciences in Stuttgart and worked for over 10 years in television and media arts before following his passion for creating with wood.

He studied cabinetmaking at l’École des Métiers du Meuble de Montréal where he was first introduced to woodturning, which quickly became the center of his artistic practice.

He exclusively uses locally salvaged wood, which he turns green, so that the drying process of the wood becomes integral part of the creation. With the use of fire, he amplifies the natural tension in the drying wood. By embracing the resulting cracks and imperfections he explores themes of fragility, resilience, and the human relation with nature.

His pieces have been exhibited in design festivals, galleries and craft shows in Ontario and Québec. He is the recipient of two Ontario Arts Council grants for his projects ‘Fragile giants’ and ‘Consumed’, both inspired by our impact on nature.

He works and lives in Picton, Prince Edward County. 

Artist statement:

In my woodturning, I use locally sourced wood with sometimes unpredictable characteristics. By working with green, living wood the material takes an active part in the creative process and invites the maker to reflect on the life of the material itself.

My practice is rooted in a deep appreciation for the tradition of crafts, the cultural history of artifacts and our human interaction with nature. By celebrating urban wood with all its beauty, its flaws, its scars, its fragility, and strength, I hope to deepen our connection with the artifact and the material it is made of.

Imperfections, cracks, warping, and natural impacts, like fire, and signs of human interaction, like tool marks, are deliberately incorporated to create objects that narrate their own past while living on in the cultural context of our homes.