Callum Higgins - Constructions by CSH and Manchester Custom Framing

As you may have noticed, Covet currently has 5 main additional contributors, whose work has been carefully curated and selected to go alongside our home brand of pieces. These contributors are highly skilled makers and doers and we want to tell you a bit about them!

First up is Callum Higgins, who actually features on the Covet site as two different enterprises - Constructions by CSH and also Manchester Custom Framing.

Callum's use of materials borders on the industrial, but his carefully revised use of mediums such as concrete and OSB means that his pieces are elegant and beautifully textured, and add a really interesting element to your home.

We asked Callum some questions and wanted to have a little look into his studio at Islington Mill in Salford...

When did you start working with concrete and what draws you to it as a material?
During my final year at uni I started exploring concrete as a new material within my artistic practice. During this process I experimented a lot with different forms, shapes and functions of the material, out of which developed the concrete tea light holders and hanging lights.

What inspires you to make work?
Without giving too much away the concrete hanging lights are made using a certain everyday object as the mould. These objects are all around us and whenever I see one in an interesting shape I start to picture the potential for a new light design.

What materials or processes are you interested in exploring next?

For the past year I have been working as a joiner which has improved my wood working skills a lot. I'm interested in exploring wood work further and putting these new skills to use. Plywood and OSB interest me much in the same way concrete has, the use of a material intended for raw construction and making something  more interesting out of it. I have a few designs for plywood and OSB large furniture pieces in working on at the moment. The use of these materials has bled through into the framing as well, inspiring me to make more interesting frames as well as the more traditional approach.

What is the best part of being immersed in a community of artists and makers?
There is a lot of support being based in a community of makers like Islington mill, lots of people to bounce your ideas of off and an already existing group of people that are likely to be interested in the thing you are producing.



To see Callum's pieces for Covet, visit our website. 
Keep your eyes peeled for info on our other designers and makers.