Iain Broadbent

Iain is an architectural woodcarver living and working in York. His work can be found in many cathedrals, churches and country houses throughout the United Kingdom. He is a graduate of The Royal College of Art and worked for many years as an artist/ craftsman in London before taking up an apprenticeship in woodcarving and setting up his own business in 2004.

Iain works closely with architects, interior designers, joiners and cabinet makers in making and restoring carved and shaped details ranging from mouldings to heraldic crests. His grounding in the traditional skills are also utilized by contemporary designers and makers for more unusual projects such as making props for the History Channel, for galleries such as Tate Modern and the Michelin-starred Ametsa restaurant in London, as well as lecturing on the conservation course at the Architectural Association School of Architecture. Iain regularly undertakes one off design projects and commissions, as well as being involved in major building redevelopments and restorations.

His wild bird carvings are a realisation of Iain’s skill as a woodcarver combined with his love of the natural world and historic buildings, especially Gothic architecture and the Arts and Crafts Movement. In his work a bird will often be placed within an architectural feature such as a quatrefoil or window casement, which in itself gives the piece its own frame. The initial idea for these carvings came from a private commission and since then Iain has begun to develop this unique area of work to sell to private buyers.