Alex Devol

Alexander de Vol is a designer, artist and maker whose work investigates the properties of wood and their transferal into other materials through Wooden + Woven.

Alex uses a mix of traditional casting methods and new technologies to document the natural behaviour and movement of objects he makes from the unseasoned wood of recently felled trees still high in moisture, in this state the wood is yet to undergo a dramatic process of change and given the appropriate conditions will morph into new organic forms as it dries. The final outcome is an object sculpted collaboratively by both maker and material. Alex takes care to preserve the features of wood which he feels are aesthetically synonymous with trees themselves and highlights these details by recreating them in new materials


When do you feel most free?
"I have always found there is an almost meditative comfort to be found in skilled, physical work, when I’m focused on a challenging task or working on an ambitious piece it’s very difficult to think of anything else, I’m absorbed in what’s in front of me and not worrying about all the things on my to-do list."


Which Freedom To Exist Watch and why?
"I chose the fte4007 in gunmetal and black. The shade of grey reminds me of tool steel, and the subtle contrast of it’s polished bevel against the brushed metal body looks just like a chisel with a good mirror edge on it. I spend most of my days working with my hands and they get beaten up fairly often, as do the things around them, so when choosing clothes or accessories I’m always mindful of what I think will age well. While it’s pretty straight out of the box the materials used on the fte4007 made it look to me like something that will age beautifully with daily use, and not something I will have to save for best."

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