Working with wood has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. Traditional woodworking teaches patience, judgement and attention to the material. Hand tools give me the satisfaction of shaping something directly with my hands, a feeling I often missed in digital work.

That experience shapes the way I teach at Bensari Workshop in Wrocław, Poland. It is both a working furniture studio and a school of traditional woodworking. The techniques I teach are the ones I use when designing and making furniture here.

Our woodworking courses take place in groups of no more than six. Some participants are picking up a plane or chisel for the first time; others come to improve a particular skill. Each person works on a real project, from a magnetic knife rack in the beginner course to a dovetailed box or a tray made using hammer veneering and steam bending.

At the workbench, I teach participants to notice how wood behaves, why a joint holds and what a tool is telling them through the cut. These are practical skills they can carry into their own work, whether they come to woodworking for pleasure or want to take their craft further.