Ben Percy
Ben Percy Designs
After graduating with honours at the University of Newcastle in Design & Technology and Education, I received a scholarship from the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society to study at the prestigious Sturt School for Wood in 2012.
I then went on to start my own company ‘Ben Percy Designs’ at 25 years of age, and my works have been on exhibition in various galleries and design competitions. I was also a finalist in the 2013 and 2018 Australian Timber Design Awards and did a short stint as artist in residence at Sturt.
I am passionate about design. I believe great design is functional, beautiful and individual, and strive to create pieces that are not just art, but are comfortable, usable forms to be enjoyed.
Another core pillar of my design ethos is sustainability. Over the years I have grown to be more aware of the responsibility that contemporary designers have today to the environment. Deforestation is front of mind for me and so I choose sustainably sourced timbers for my designs.
My design style reflects my close relationship to the environment and nature. I believe my aesthetic strikes a fine balance between contemporary and organic. The lines are fluid, yet simple, mostly hand shaped or spoke shaved, but also formed with modern technology where appropriate.
Today I balance my time between making bespoke pieces of furniture, teaching the craft to emerging designers at Freshwater Senior Campus and Heartwood Creative Woodworking, and enjoying the lifestyle in Sydney’s Northern Beaches together with my wife and two young kids.