Enignum Motion

"In my work, I have always stretched and reached. In the early years, this was all done purely intuitively, stretching the boundaries, sending a piece into cantilever or balance, suspending or ascending, aspiring…

“Today the ambition (to explore motion) is built upon with close collaboration with Peter Flynn, a director of Ove Arup Engineers… This summer we held a knowledge sharing session, where Peter Flynn gave a lecture to my team of makers on the principle of engineering. In attendance also was an adhesive scientist." —Joseph Walsh, 2021

Joseph Walsh's sensitive use of materials, commitment to excellent craftsmanship, and purity in structure and form, are evident in every chair, table, or cabinet he designs. He makes both functional furniture and conceptual installations, each informing the other.

Walsh begins his work by selecting wood that is responsibly harvested from local sources, using as much of the tree as possible. Because he is exploring new territory in furniture and design, Walsh creates a model of every object, which is tested and reworked if needed.

The final product is hand-built using precise engineering and traditional cabinet-making techniques as well as boat building methods. This unlikely combination of techniques helps him create flowing organic forms, seen here in "Enignum Motion", an early masterwork.