Coming to fruition in 2024, Curtis' practice emerged from a background in cabinet making, joinery, and set construction, formed by a slow and deliberate development of ideas. Working between traditional handcraft and contemporary processes, he focuses on natural materials to create bold, minimal pieces that are grounded, quiet, and enduring.
Growing up in Western Australia and now living and working on Wurundjeri land (Naarm/Melbourne, Australia), Curtis' work is informed by personal and sentimental histories. Working predominantly with jarrah (a timber native to his birth area), which becomes a conduit for memories, it carries a strong but intimate presence through its weight, warmth, and grain. Each piece is approached not just as an object but also as a character, shaped by restraint, proportion, and touch. His designs draw subtle references from the natural world and classical furniture archetypes, distilled into reduced forms that feel both familiar and considered with emphasis placed on material honesty, surface, and shadow.
Jarrah (djarraly, Eucalyptus marginata) is endemic to the south-west corner of Australia. Renowned for its strength, durability, and deep, rich tones, it has long been used for tools, construction, and furniture by the Noongar people and later populations for centuries. Today, the timber is sustainably sourced from regrowth forests under strict environmental regulations, continuing a material lineage that values longevity, purpose, and respect for place.
