Pedro Sánchez Expósito (1978), a native of Fregenal, is an apprentice cabinetmaker. In his own words, it is a trade in which one never stops learning, as there is always something new to discover. Following a family tradition started by his father, he has honed his craft by working with wood on the lathe.This specialism has enabled him to gain a deeper understanding of the possibilities offered by this raw material, which has been used in the production of household goods and a whole range of material culture for millennia.
His connection with nature through hiking has allowed him to engage with wood from many different perspectives; when he works with it, he feels the sensations conveyed by the forests and the whole tapestry of life they sustain.
Woodturning is, above all, an intimate dialogue with nature. As each piece of raw wood is worked, a form hidden within the grain is gradually revealed – a design shaped by years of growth, sun and rain. In a completely traditional craft process, the lathe, hands and gouges work together to transform a piece of wood into a useful object, whilst respecting its natural ‘imperfections’. Cracks and organic shapes are incorporated into the final result. Wood is a living material; even after it has been worked, it continues to ‘vibrate’, resonating in harmony with its surroundings, like an echo of the natural music of the tree from which it comes.
