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Christian Friedl

Austria

Christian Friedl, born in 1970 in Feldbach in Styria, is a trained master carpenter specialising in interior and furniture design.
In 2019, Friedl reinvents himself as a wood designer and founds his own manufactory "unique-soulart-work".

It is the intimate relationship between Christian Friedl, nature and the forest that provides him with the precious and sustainable material. With his unique pieces of furniture, he breathes new life into wood.
The works are high quality unique pieces for connoisseurs, collectors and people who have access to special one-of-a-kind pieces. Each piece is on the borderline between design object and work of art.
For Christian Friedl, the link between his work and contemporary art is of great importance.

unique - soul - art - work - Handmade unique furniture from local woods.

His love of wood, his enthusiasm for unique design and his very personal story are the driving forces behind Christian Friedl's passion. It is a story of failure and hopeful new beginnings.
The first of six children, he grew up on a small farm where he was involved in the exciting daily work of the farm from an early age. Fortunately, he was born with manual skills and a talent for improvisation. Even as a child he was able to make something out of anything he could get his hands on. It was clear early on that he wanted to be a carpenter, so he learnt the art of marquetry, took part in all the apprentice competitions and eventually attended the two-year Master School for Interior Design and Furniture Design in Graz.
An intense journey into himself, which revealed his deep longing for the craft, eventually led him to the moment that changed everything. The moment when nothing was the same. "Back to the roots", creating with his own hands unique pieces of furniture that will last for generations. With heart, soul and inspiration, without time pressure, but with creativity and enthusiasm, unique pieces are created in his workshop, on the borderline between design object and work of art.
There are few pieces, but they are exceptional rarities, where uniqueness and exclusivity are in the foreground. Using high quality materials and local woods from the former imperial and royal forests. Forests, each with its own history. Technique is deliberately reduced to allow the true craftsmanship and soul of the masterpiece to shine through. His work focuses on the essential. Through a reduced and mindful approach to nature and the material of wood, he creates unique pieces that are not only solid and perfect in form, but also functional. At the same time, he takes the liberty of refining the wood to the point of creating a work of art.

Each tree is unique in its shape, has its own grain and pattern, cracks and marks, just like life itself. Christian Friedl highlights these characteristics in his works to arouse emotions and touch people. His works are created for a select circle of individualists with very high aesthetic standards, people who like to surround themselves with unique objects of art.

There are few pieces, but they are exceptional rarities, where uniqueness and exclusivity are in the foreground. Using high quality materials and local woods from the former imperial and royal forests. Forests, each with its own history. Technique is deliberately reduced to allow the true craftsmanship and soul of the masterpiece to shine through. His work focuses on the essential. Through a reduced and mindful approach to nature and the material of wood, he creates unique pieces that are not only solid and perfect in form, but also functional. At the same time, he takes the liberty of refining the wood to the point of creating a work of art.

GOLDSCHATZ (Gold treasure)

Durability and lasting value form a wonderful symbiosis. They inspired Christian Friedl to create something that can be called a golden treasure. Meticulous research led him to this unique wood, from which an incomparable piece of furniture was created with the finest craftsmanship.
Goldschatz is a rarity through and through, a noble sideboard, a true treasure that lives up to its name because its wood was salvaged like a treasure. The oak tree it came from fell in Croatia about 5,100 years ago, when it was 200 years old, and sank into the swamp. It was only by chance that the giant tree was brought to light in Koprivnica a few years ago.
The almost black, solid wood of the bog oak envelops the treasure and its entire interior. On the outside, the cut of the band saw can still be seen. The surface has been brushed to give it an exceptional feel, and oiled to give it a matt and silky finish. The eight gently closing flaps are galvanised and can be opened from all sides. Finely handcrafted from 23-carat gold leaf, the storage surface is finished with a silky matt protective coating. The matt gold-plated stainless steel feet make the object appear to float.

MONO TABLE

Christian Friedl's vision was to build a table from solid local wood without separate legs. It is a wonderful story of nature and creativity coming together.
Bending wood is an ancient craft that few still master. And only a few native woods have the ability to bend under certain conditions. Is it worth the enormous amount of time it takes to create a unique piece? For Christian Friedl, the answer is a resounding "yes" when it comes to creating an extraordinary one-of-a-kind piece for an enthusiast and collector.
Bent from two different types of wood, the sculpture is shaped into a round table with the appearance of a trumpet flower. 36 selected and carefully sorted pieces of oak on top and ash underneath were cut raw, steamed in a specially made cauldron of 100 degree hot water, bent with enormous effort over a specially designed template and glued together.
These blanks were then milled into precisely fitting pieces, sanded, brushed and given a fine joint so that each individual slat could work on its own. To assemble the 36 pieces, an elaborate template had to be built and the pieces glued together. Discreet curves at the ends of the slats give Mono Table the appearance of a flower. An anthracite anodised aluminium strip separates the two different woods and closes the circle. Intensive brushing and colouring with natural lye enhances the natural character of the wood and gives the object a fine and soft feel. The result is Mono, a unique piece that will last for generations.

MONO CHAIR

Mono Chair is an understated piece of seating furniture with great presence:
the basic material is peat steel, a material that is often literally cast in concrete. The seat is made of high quality natural nubuck leather, finely hand-stitched with natural hemp thread.

SUNRISE

Diagonal cut, finely fanned out in solid walnut. Sunrise is a chest of drawers with charm and charisma. Finely handcrafted, it nestles on three sides, ending in a smooth surface at the back. The impression of closely arranged dominoes gives it structure.
It also has a lot to offer on the inside: Plenty of storage space makes Sunrise a space miracle. Mitred corners, a recessed shelf in solid brass with a hand-engraved surface and a recessed handle on the inside make Sunrise a unique piece. Finely sanded and protected with natural oil, the surface is silky matt with a natural lustre.