I am delighted to share that I have been featured in the Homo Faber Guide, an international guide presenting outstanding contemporary artisans from around the world.
Homo Faber is a cultural movement presented by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to celebrating, preserving and promoting master craftsmanship. Through educational programmes, international exhibitions and digital platforms, the foundation supports artisans across a wide range of disciplines and helps strengthen the connection between craftsmanship, design, the arts and contemporary culture.
The name Homo Faber comes from Latin and can be translated as “the human who makes” or “the human who creates.” It is an idea that has accompanied European culture for centuries and reflects a belief that remains deeply relevant today: our ability to transform materials, knowledge and imagination into objects of lasting value.
This philosophy is very close to my own approach to woodworking.
For more than twenty years, I have worked with wood, designing and making furniture while exploring traditional woodworking techniques. Throughout that journey, I have become increasingly convinced that craftsmanship is about much more than producing objects. It is about material knowledge, discipline, patience and the understanding that quality is built through experience accumulated over time.
Being featured in the Homo Faber Guide is therefore a great honour for me. I see it as recognition not only of my work as a furniture maker and designer, but also of the values that shape my daily practice in the workshop.
At Bensari Workshop in Wrocław, furniture making, craftsmanship and education exist side by side. This is where I create furniture, collaborate with architects and collectors, and teach traditional woodworking techniques to people who want to develop practical skills and a deeper understanding of the craft.
I strongly believe that craftsmanship should not be viewed as something belonging solely to the past. Traditional skills continue to offer valuable knowledge and remain highly relevant in contemporary design and culture.
I am honoured to join the community of artisans featured by Homo Faber and the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship.
My Homo Faber profile is available here:
https://www.homofaber.com/en/artisans/tom_bensari-furniture_making-wroclaw
