About

DAVID TRAGEN

I left University with a degree in International Business in 1994, but had already developed a sense that my calling was elsewhere. I changed tack immediately, qualified as a TEFL teacher and following a year teaching in Sicily, moved to Barcelona, hoping to be inspired by its air of creativity.

My journey as a craftsperson started by upcycling disused pieces of furniture and I used this as a launchpad to teach myself furniture making. This was later supplemented by courses in marquetry, wood carving, life drawing and technical drawing and after four years, I left my teaching job to pursue being a furniture designer maker full time.

Over the next two years I completed various projects for bars and restaurants as well as private clients in both Barcelona and Ibiza. However, in order to be able to translate my creative vision of working with flowing curves in wood, I returned to Britain in 2002 to train with the late David Savage and then was selected by Silver Lining Furniture to work as a cabinet-maker.

In 2004 I set up my own business in Manchester so that I could make my own designs. Since 2019 my work has diversified, with a greater focus on sculptural objects and now incorporates the techniques of hot and cold casting with bronze to realise these forms.

What really excites me about my work is turning the intangible into physical objects. My aim is to create original pieces, inspired by the natural world which are calming and mesmeric, frequently using themes of movement, flow and transformation to achieve this.

A short film by Patrick Astwood

Published Work