Ben Warner

I have always loved working with timber, which goes way back to when in my youth I became a carpenter and then a builder.
After moving from Adelaide to Brisbane in 1980, I became aware of the diversity of different timbers available in Queensland, and then in 1985 moved to Papua New Guinea for work, and remained there for thirty years. I spent many hours with local woodcarvers and traditional artists watching as they crafted timber logs and branches into wondrous objects of art, each one with a story behind the art.
I moved back from PNG to live in Birkdale and love the proximity to the bay and its prolific wildlife and natural beauty. I became fascinated with the rich heritage of early European settlement in the Redlands.
My work with local and international timbers reflects the feelings I have for the beauty of our environment, my life’s experiences, and the richness of the Redlands.
In all my work I use recycled timber components where I can, saving timbers that in some cases are over 400 years old, their otherwise destiny being either the dump or the potbelly stove.
I am currently exhibiting & selling many of my works at Straddievarious Gallery, on Raby Bay Harbour, Cleveland.
Ben Warner..Birkdale  2020
from Courthouse
to Restaurant