SIMON JAMES WHATLEY

MEET THE ARTIST

From his origins as an architect Simon James Whatley comes to the medium of craft via a multitude of previous experiences. Sustainable architecture and design, regeneration and community arts and therapeutic horticulture. He is committed to the sustainable sourcing of materials and to British craft manufacture, having created bespoke furniture for private clients and businesses in Edinburgh and London in collaboration with independent artisan makers, who up until this point he has called upon to prototype and realise his designs.

Through the mentoring award Simon hopes to make the transition from “designer who makes furniture” to designer maker, and artisan craftsman. A series of intensive green-working courses would be supplemented with one-to-one mentorship with Jason Mosseri, a highly regarded furniture maker specialising in green-working techniques and the production of contemporary windsor chairs. He would marry a new set of craft skills with his holistic approach to making in order to free himself from his current over-reliance on other artisans to prototype and realise his designs.