Matthias Bachofen Beer

I was born and raised in the German speaking part of Switzerland, near Zurich. After a commercial school I added a second appreticeship as a woodturner, from 1984 until 1987. In 1990 I moved to the Italian speaking part of Switzerland (Ticino) where I started working as a selfemployed woodturner. I have been teaching turning for over 30 years. In 2011 I realized my dream with the opening of the woodturning school and with the total dedication to my profession and passion.

I create exclusive objects such as vases, fruit bowls, boxes with lids, pens and spheres, using mainly local wood (which I get from forestry companies and gardeners), always highlighting the beauty that is hidden within it. I then finish the objects with much attention to detail using other materials such as gold or silver leaf or colouring them to enhance their hidden grain. In the end they are further embellished and protected with oils and waxes.

In the last few years I have had the wonderful opportunity to do some woodturning demonstration in many different countries, including Australia, Greece, Italy, Austria and of course Switzerland.

I deal with turning not only during my working days but also my holidays and my trips are always enriched by visits with woodturners or to places where wood plays an important role. For example I have visited fellow woodturners in Vietnam, Thailand, Canada and England.