Grain & Knot, a practice built on patience

What drew us to Sophie Sellu's work at Grain & Knot was how the pieces move between kitchen and wall without losing anything. A spoon is a tool until you see the grain pattern running through the handle and then it's something you want to display. A brush is sculptural enough to hang, functional enough to use daily. The work holds both at once.

That duality is everywhere in her practice. Every object — spoons, brushes, bowls, tableware — is hand-carved from storm-fallen or reclaimed wood. Sellu releases work seasonally, a few pieces at a time. She works with hand tools only. And she waits, sometimes months, before deciding what a piece of wood should become.

Based in South London, Sellu carves walnut, chestnut, and spalted wood marked by fungi and the passing of time. The grain stays visible. Edges are irregular. Surfaces have texture. The pieces are made to be held, used daily, and to age in your hands.

The body of work is consistent enough that you could collect it slowly, piece by piece, knowing each one will sit together. The practice runs on patience and you can feel that in every object.