‘Without light there is nothing , no colour, shape or form to behold. I like to imagine the drilling process as the slow breaking down of a wall or barrier to let the light come out. That light is the material which can be manipulated to create beauty and life in art.

When you look at light through one small hole it becomes something you can draw with, one hole at a time! The real art I believe, is in controlling the way that the light is seen by how you drill the holes. So for example, by drilling a dense area of 1mm holes in a board, then changing the angle of drilling slightly, you create a different shade. When someone looks at a Drillworks piece, the whole thing moves with the viewer, moving waves of light defined with the drill. Varying the angle, size and spacing of the holes gives the variety or palette to work with. It is all light, shade and solid.’

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Drew Whitemore

DOB: 1965 UK

I have been an artist and maker all my life.

I have never been comfortable following standard ways in any aspect of life, a constant frustration at my inability to define the creative spirit I have, led me to the place where this work begins and I felt a deep satisfaction when I ‘found’ the technique of Drillwork, something I have invented and developed over the past two decades.

Previous to this, I spent many years travelling, working as a street musician and artist around the world, making art & crafts and playing for a living. I have worked in all sorts of occupations, allowing me to absorb the diverse creativity and cultures of people.

Drillworks are a culmination of all my experiences.

I have made work in many styles as I have practised my art and developed the method. I have chosen to be open in my approach and enjoy the challenges of applying the technique in any way I can, whether for a single artwork, panels for interior design projects, feature walls or similar.

At the moment I am particularly inspired by the relationship that can exist between nature and numbers, by the left/right brain balancing act, knowledge of which it seems to me, is fundamental to understanding what it is to be human. Man and machine, darkness and light, the technique also reflects this to an extent. The drill is a precise instrument and I like to use and expand upon this precision to create my work.

The big bang, chaos, stillness, explosion and creation.. I am interested in the extent of the imagined idea and how in an age where we have such a prolific quantity of scientific knowledge and imagery of the micro and macro, what the big picture may be beyond everything.

In the end, there is nothing new under the sun and therefore I like to focus on the holistic nature of things, the universal brilliance of life, the unknown qualities!

My work is a personal search for beauty and illumination in a complex world.

Awards.

Decorex 2007 IDFX award for best contemporary product

BIDA award for outstanding quality and design innovation.