Samuel Montgomery’s practice sits comfortably between the useful and the sculptural. Often collaborating with artists and architects, Montgomery is currently working towards a new exhibition for The Arts House Trust at Pah Homestead. Made on Aotea Great Barrier Island, the body of work brings together furniture, lighting and tableware in timber and clay, allowing different scales of making to coexist within a single, considered whole.

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Here: What sparked your interest in woodwork?

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SAMUEL MONTGOMERY: Both of my grandparents worked with their hands. My nana was a sewer and production machinist in the rag trade, and my poppa was an engineer and toolmaker. My brother and I spent every school holiday at their house, and one summer, he gave Poppa a 4×4 piece of pine and asked him to make a boat. The following Christmas, we were gifted a beautiful model of Black Magic, the America’s Cup yacht. Those experiences were deeply formative and have had a lasting influence on who I am and the way I work.

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Here: How would you describe your work?

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SM: Precise and restrained, with a bit of quiet playfulness. I’m drawn to simple geometric forms, cubes, facets, little protrusions, and I care a lot about proportion, joinery and surface detail. Those things often matter just as much to me as the overall shape. Even though the work is considered, I like leaving space for small surprises, whether that’s an unexpected junction or a subtle shift that rewards a closer look. Collaboration plays a big role, too. Working with other makers, architects or artists usually brings constraints, but I find that sharpens the work.

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Here: What’s your favourite thing to make?

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SM: I gravitate towards making furniture that sits right on the edge of utility. It’s clearly functional, but it also asks you to slow down and really notice it. Tables, stools and plinth-like forms come up a lot in my work because they’re simple to use, but there’s a lot you can explore in their proportions, joinery and overall presence. They’re made to be lived with, to pick up marks over time and become part of everyday life.

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Here: What do you like about what you do?

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SM: It keeps my brain and my hands busy at the same time. You’re constantly solving little problems, but you’re also just working carefully and paying attention. Wood has its own grain and quirks, so you can’t really rush it. You have to respond to what’s in front of you.

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