Robert Grieves is a English wood sculptor, based in London. His mobiles showcase the beauty of natural woods, using only locally sourced timer.
After 25 years as a digital designer, Grieves leaped in the opposite direction, becoming a wood sculptor. Living in Sydney, he first fell in love with Australian hardwoods -- a tough, unwieldy material. After only two years of experimentation, Grieves was invited to exhibit in a series of galleries, and given numerous commissions in and around Sydney.
After returning home in 2024, Grieves was awarded an arts residency at Orleans House Gallery, London’s only contemporary gallery with its own woodland. There, he experimented with every local wood he could find. In the process, he immediately fell in love with English timber.
Sculpting softer wood opened up new opportunities, and Grieves soon abandoned power tools in favour of traditional hand tools. His background in design leads him to sculpt simple modernist forms. Following a “materials first” ethos, the quirks of the specific wood often lead the creative process. By utilizing waste wood from his local neighbourhood, Grieves' mediums are London’s very own trees. Grieves chooses to work with 'underappreciated' timber, such as London Plane and Yew... species of wood that hold as much beauty as they do symbolic meaning.
Today, Grieves continues working from various woodlands across London, creating both sculptural and functional forms, from kinetic sculptures to candlestick holders. He strives to use his heritage craft to create contemporary work, injecting traditional knowledge into bolder, new age forms.