Kevin Stamper FSDC

Kevin Stamper Furniture Limited

Kevin Stamper Furniture Ltd was established in 1992 making one-off, bespoke pieces of furniture for domestic interiors. Working alongside interior designers and private clients, the company built an enviable reputation for design, craftsmanship and project management. At its height 5 craftsmen and women were employed working on diverse projects both large and small. Now in his 60’s the founder, Kevin Stamper, has returned to his first love of designing and making small pieces of freestanding furniture and decorative wooden boxes. He now works by himself and each piece displayed on the website is individually designed and exclusively handmade by him.

In recent years, Kevin developed a unique process to hand-dye wood veneer (thin sheets of wood less than 1mm thick) that allows the dye to penetrate all the way through the veneer - meaning it can be applied to a design and sanded back without any loss of colour. The dyes he uses are spirit based ‘light-fast’ dyes which give the veneers a translucent appearance, allowing the delicate grain patterns of the individual veneer pieces to shine through, creating beautifully diverse designs. When lacquered, the colours become bright and lustrous with a depth of tone that cannot normally be achieved using ‘off the shelf’ dyed veneers.

The hand dying process has created a collection of over 200 colours and tones which can be reliably repeated on a consistent basis. The veneers are used alongside natural hardwoods such as sycamore, oak, pearwood and walnut which form a backdrop to the bright and vivid marquetry designs; all the wood species used are from sustainable sources with FSC certification. Decorative boxes, side tables, small cabinets and wall hanging mirrors are all made using craft skills developed over a lifetime of working in wood – a passion that shines through the beauty of the work.

Kevin uses both traditional and innovative marquetry and parquetry techniques in his work, always looking to push the boundaries of what is possible within the craft. He loves to combine colour and texture in his work and often chooses contemporary and abstract subjects for his compositions. Each piece is lovingly handmade to exacting standards by Kevin himself and finished with a hardwearing and smooth lacquer, this contains an ultraviolet filter that helps prevent the bright colours fading over time. His work is beautiful and unique and graces many collections in the UK, Europe and the USA.

Kevin trained in art, design and technology at Winchester and has enjoyed a lifetime of creating furniture and other objects in wood. He has twice won the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers design award and is a fellow of the Society of Designer Craftsmen. He lives and works in Southwest London.

www.kevinstamperfurniture.com

Solo Exhibitions

2018 – The Other Art Fair, Bristol, UK

2018 – Artrooms Roma, Rome, Italy

2017 – Kevin Stamper, 67 York Street Gallery, London, UK

2016 – Kevin Stamper, Plateaux Gallery at Thomas Goode, Mayfair, London, UK

2016 – Kevin Stamper, Luxury Made, Olympia, London, UK

2015 – Kevin Stamper, Design Shanghai, Shanghai Exhibition Centre, Shanghai, China

Kevin Stamper, Artifex Gallery, Birmingham UK

Group Exhibitions

2017 – Celebration of Craftsmanship and Design, Thirlestaine Long Gallery, Cheltenham, UK

Future Icons Winter Showcase, 67 York Street Gallery, London, UK

2016 – Society of Designer Craftsman Summer Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, UK

2015 – 21st Century Design, The Millinery Works, Islington, UK

2014 - Celebration of Craftsmanship and Design, Thirlestaine Long Gallery, Cheltenham, UK

2013 – 21st Century Design, The Millinery Works, Islington, UK

Awards

2014 – Design award 2nd place, Celebration of Craftsmanship and Design, Cheltenham, UK

2012 – Design award 1st place, Celebration of Craftsmanship and Design, Cheltenham, UK

Publications

2018 – Encyclopaedia of Woodworking, Jeremy Broun, Quarto Books

2018 – The Craft of Veneering, Craig Thibodeau, Taunton Press

2018 – Christie’s Real Estate Magazine, review of artwork and furniture, UK

Succede Oggi, Rome, Italy, review of artwork, Italy

2017 – Confessions of a Design Geek, on line magazine, interview with Kevin Stamper, UK

2016 – Sphere Magazine (Autumn) Influencer, Purple Grain, interview with Kevin Stamper, UK

House and Garden (October), Blurred Lines, UK

2015 – Wall Street Journal, Furniture to Dye For, interview with Kevin Stamper, Ruth Bloomfield, Newspaper, USA

2014 – Furniture and Cabinet Making, 20 minutes with Kevin Stamper, Magazine, UK