Handmade Sculptural Furniture and Wall Art

Graduating with a degree in International Business in 1994, David Tragen's journey into a creative vocation was anything but conventional. Despite academic success, a deeper calling had already begun to take shape and a swift change of direction led to his qualification as a TEFL teacher, followed by a year teaching in Sicily. Seeking inspiration from an environment rich in creativity, a move to Barcelona soon followed.

The path to becoming a craftsperson began with upcycling discarded furniture found across the city and this hands-on experimentation served as the foundation for self-taught furniture-making skills, later enhanced through formal training in marquetry, wood carving, life drawing, and technical drawing. After four years of balancing teaching with this growing passion, the leap was made to become a full-time furniture designer and maker.

Over the next two years, David completed projects for bars, restaurants, and private clients in Barcelona and Ibiza, solidified a burgeoning reputation. Yet the ambition to work with the flowing, organic curves that defined his creative vision required further technical mastery. Returning to Britain in 2002, he undertook training with the late David Binnington Savage, a highly respected furniture make of some renown, and this provided the perfect springboard to join Silver Lining Furniture as a cabinetmaker.

Starting up an independent business in Manchester in 2004, marked a turning point where David was finally skilled enough to design and create without limitation and his work continued to evolve, with the focus broadening to include sculptural objects, incorporating techniques like hot and cold bronze casting to bring intricate, dynamic forms to life.

The essence of his work lies in transforming intangible ideas into tangible art, and by drawing inspiration from the natural world, each piece aims to evoke calmness and fascination, weaving themes of movement, flow, and transformation into original, timeless designs.