How did you begin Ayliss?

I got to a point in life where working hard and spending my energy and experience on someone else’s business no longer made sense. I wondered: What is possible if I apply the same energy on my own projects? This question was the seed of Ayliss. I'm never more satisfied than when I make things. So merging this life-long love for creating with my experience in retail was a fluid process.

What things inspire you?

Of course books, pictures, films and art inspire me. But I love cycling and running. The physical effect that landscape has on me when I do these activities makes me continually aware I have more potential. I love that training makes me better, and this applies to my studio practice too. Exercise takes me outside my studio where I capture an experience to then put back into my work. I also love that people choose to have my creations in their homes. That knowledge keeps me doing what I do.

What is always in your studio?

My husband has to put up with my collections of timber. I love working with recycled objects that are destined for waste. To me timber signifies human waste. I think about seeds growing into trees, then being cut and created into useable objects, only to later be replaced and cast aside. Its especially poignant to find beautiful hardwood from old furniture. We rarely use this timber anymore and it’s a travesty to waste. I just adore finding this sort of timber and breathing a new life into it. So yes, timber always has a place in my studio.

Describe your studio place?

To me it’s a haven, a home, and a hive. To a stranger my studio is chaos. I have to admit Id love to have a clear minimal workspace, but reality bites. My studio also spreads beyond to weave its way into my kitchen, my bedroom and especially my balcony where I store my electric saw. Its an interesting productive space.

Tell us about how you work?

I plan to accomplish certain things each day and generally have a quota. But I’m flexible when it comes to creating things. I’m inspired by what materials can do, and if I get too bent on an idea, I reduce the amount of experimentation. Play in my work is fundamental for change. I think change and flexibility are always an advantage.

Where did you learn your skills?

Like most people in this industry I’ve always made stuff. I became better, more skilled, more experienced through many, many years of university study and studio time. Outside the studio I visit galleries and exhibitions as well as timber yards and hardware stores to learn how things are put together, structured, combined. All this goes into my memory bank and becomes useful.