Misti Leitz

Misti was born in the UK in 1968. Her career path led her to become a
designer of bespoke interiors and furniture, specialising in the re-creation of carved period detailing and ornament. Her commissioned works can be seen in palaces, penthouses and private residences all over the world.
In 2016, feeling that she had taken her skills as a designer to their furthest extreme, she set up her woodland studio in Shropshire to make
contemporary sculpture and objets d’art. Working mainly in wood and
occasionally in stone, she produces semi abstract organic pieces as a
direct response to her environment. The amount of time she spends
creating each one by hand results in sculptures that are informed as much by touch as they are by design, giving them a sensual tactility. Working wood by hand, shaping it with steel and finishing it with fire and oil is an elemental process that connects Misti deeply to her material. The recurring geometries and rhythms of life resonate throughout her work, reflecting the quiet order of the living world. Her heart, hands, and tools leave their mark on each piece, embodying the timeless and primal relationship between maker, material, and landscape.
In 2021, she starred in and won, Channel 4’s televised woodworking
competition, earning herself the highly dubious title of ‘Britain’s Best
Woodworker’, and introducing a worldwide audience of millions to her
work.

“For most of the year, I work outdoors, carving wood into forms that belong in nature – large enough to hold their place, yet inspired by and harmonizing with their surroundings. On the coldest days, I retreat indoors to create smaller, more intricate pieces, but my heart remains in the open air.
Standing before a raw block of timber, I feel a deep responsibility to honour the tree’s centuries of life. I see the finished form within and carve to reveal it, the rhythmic sound of mallet on chisel dissolving the world around me. I think through my hands, sometimes guiding the material, sometimes letting it guide me – seeking the perfect balance of line, curve, and form.
Working wood by hand, and finishing it with fire and oil is a primal process that connects me to the material and its history. My sculptures will endure for generations, marked by time and the seasons. And if, in all that time, just one person feels compelled to reach out and touch, my work is complete.” – Misti Leitz