Donald Baugh
1961, United Kingdom
Donald Baugh was born in London and from the ages of one to eight lived in Jamaica with his grandparents and two sisters, before returning to his parents in Ealing. During the 1990’s he studied furniture design at the world-renowned & historic Rycotewood College, Oxford, and at Middlesex University. He now runs his own workshop in Walthamstow, London, where he divides his time between freestanding sculpture and furniture-making.
Recognising the inherent splendour of wood, Baugh combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, embracing bold shapes and use of colour. Whether the end result is a piece of furniture, lighting or sculpture, the common thread is precision balanced with beauty. After careful selection of the type of wood to be worked with, Baugh takes inspiration from his living medium, drawing on its natural characteristics, that are waiting to be revealed.
Influenced by Charles Eames and the Bauhaus movement, the asymmetrical forms of Baugh’s wooden artworks play on the organic nature of the material and its relation both to living trees and to other found objects, such as shells. His use of brightly coloured spray paint is not only to accentuate the curves and planes within his forms but to evoke the vibrancy of the Caribbean and the joyfulness of the world around us.
Passionate about the sustainable practice of harvesting timber, Baugh works closely with the Forestry Commission and tree surgeon Dariusz Salarski to source his materials. Garnering his wood in this way, he believes each sculpture’s story needs to be told. Whilst viewing wood as a ‘nervous system’, with ancient connections to human craftsmanship, his aim is to celebrate the uniqueness of nature, whilst preserving its future.
Regarding it as the most natural material, Baugh sees wood as increasingly being recognised as a medium for art, quite simply due to the fact, that everyone can relate to it. However, his own work reflects his quest for authenticity. ‘You have to find your own aesthetics. It’s your fingerprint.’
Baugh’s work has been exhibited extensively in London and the UK, as well as Europe and Tokyo. Recent events include CasildArt 2024, Miami Basel 2023, Collect 2023, and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.
Recognising the inherent splendour of wood, Baugh combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design, embracing bold shapes and use of colour. Whether the end result is a piece of furniture, lighting or sculpture, the common thread is precision balanced with beauty. After careful selection of the type of wood to be worked with, Baugh takes inspiration from his living medium, drawing on its natural characteristics, that are waiting to be revealed.
Influenced by Charles Eames and the Bauhaus movement, the asymmetrical forms of Baugh’s wooden artworks play on the organic nature of the material and its relation both to living trees and to other found objects, such as shells. His use of brightly coloured spray paint is not only to accentuate the curves and planes within his forms but to evoke the vibrancy of the Caribbean and the joyfulness of the world around us.
Passionate about the sustainable practice of harvesting timber, Baugh works closely with the Forestry Commission and tree surgeon Dariusz Salarski to source his materials. Garnering his wood in this way, he believes each sculpture’s story needs to be told. Whilst viewing wood as a ‘nervous system’, with ancient connections to human craftsmanship, his aim is to celebrate the uniqueness of nature, whilst preserving its future.
Regarding it as the most natural material, Baugh sees wood as increasingly being recognised as a medium for art, quite simply due to the fact, that everyone can relate to it. However, his own work reflects his quest for authenticity. ‘You have to find your own aesthetics. It’s your fingerprint.’
Baugh’s work has been exhibited extensively in London and the UK, as well as Europe and Tokyo. Recent events include CasildArt 2024, Miami Basel 2023, Collect 2023, and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.
Artworks by the artist
