selwyn@danselgallery.co.uk

Work exhibited at Dansel Gallery, Abbotsbury, DT3 4JL

Born in Canada, Selwyn Holmes was educated in England and trained in 3D Design at Kingston upon Thames before starting ‘Dansel’ with his wife Danielle from their home near Bridport in 1976. They began by making one-off pieces of furniture to commission.

In 1979 they expanded and moved to their present premises in Abbotsbury where, with the luxury of a selling space they were able to develop a range of smaller accessories to compliment the furniture.

The workshop has now moved back to Bridport where Selwyn works in his self-built cabin in homegrown woodland leaving the gallery to expand into the space

He calls the wall plaques, made of laminated woods, ply, recycled woods and coloured veneers, ‘Spirit Plaques’ and ‘Spirit Landscapes’. They were initially inspired by North American Native Art, in particular by Bill Reid and the Haida Tribe of British Columbia and Alaska, but have since developed into a more literal or abstract interpretation.

He still makes a variety of other items for Dansel Gallery and enjoys experimenting with laminations.