In early April, Woodcarving Alumnus (2018) William Barsley was invited to participate in the World Wood Day carving camp in Japan. The camps are an annual multi-cultural event which promote wood and the sustainable environment from all over the world. This year, woodcarvers from twenty different countries took part (Argentina, Chad, Ghana, Norway, Sweden, China and Costa Rica to name but a few). The events are organised by the International Wood Culture Society (IWCS) and World Wood Day Foundation.
This year, the carvers were hosted by the Inami Woodcarving School in Toyama prefecture of Japan and the Inami carving Cooperative. Inami is famous for its rich history of woodcarving and the participants were lucky to be shown this technique by the local masters. One of the styles they tried was called Ranma, which are heavily pierced panels often found above doorways. Often only 2cm thick, much of the design is in the negative space and clever manipulation of light on the shallow surface.
Over five days the carvers tried the Inami style of woodcarving, applied this to their personal style of work and shared their knowledge about carving and sculpture in their own country. William shared that he found it fascinating to explore the differences and similarities in the styles, timber, tools and traditions across the twenty countries, united by a common passion for carving, which transcended language and cultural barriers. He can’t wait to apply some of these skills to his own work – watch this space!
Find out more about William’s work on his website and Instagram account.
Interested in our Undergraduate and Postgraduate Woodcarving courses?
Applications are now open for 2025/26 study, with just one more Open Day left this academic year.
We strongly recommend visiting the Art School before submitting your application. Join us on Tuesday 29 April to learn more about the course, meet the staff and current students. Register your place.
