RODNEY BAND (b.1961)
No Two Bowls Are Ever the Same
Craftsman and master woodworker Rodney Band makes hand-turned wooden bowls from his workshop at Imhoff Farm in Kommetjie, just outside of Cape Town.
Each bowl is completely unique – its shape, size and form determined by the type of wood and it’s unique grain, as well as its age, size, number of branches and more. While the outside of each bowl is turned, the insides are sculpted by Rodney using a tool he designed himself, which allows him to shape the bowl in an asymmetrical way that best suits the piece of wood.
From his favourite soft wood, Cork Oak, to harder wood like Norfolk Pine that is very difficult to sand, to the indigenous Wild Olive root that creates beautiful holes in the bowl, to rare finds like Red Ivory… Rodney Band is happiest when working with wood and crafting nature’s raw materials into pieces of art.
Most of his wood comes from trees that have naturally fallen and so his practice is one of sustainability, repurposing that which otherwise would inevitably go to waste or end up as firewood.
Visit him in his studio workshop in Imhoff Farm or order work from him online, via email or his website. Each bowl takes 7 days to make so Rodney produces only four bowls per month. He also creates commissions so get in touch if there is a specific type of wood, colour, size or shape that you’d like as a centrepiece in your home.
