Interview with Pam Erasmus, Maker of the Year judge 2025
Pam Erasmus is a designer maker and woodwork teacher who lives in Perth, WA. Pam’s journey with woodworking and furniture making began in the 1980s after she emigrated with her family from South Africa. She joined the family furniture making business in the Perth hills, initially focussing on repair work.
Soon after she designed and made The 2 B Used range of furniture. ‘This was a simpler more affordable range of coffee and hall tables that sold through Bungendore Wood Works Gallery and at Naturally Australian in Sydney.’ After that, chairmaking became her main focus, in particular the Brook chair that was designed collaboratively with Neil Erasmus and David Street.
Of the Brook chairs shown above, Pam Erasmus says: ‘I must have sold hundreds, so much so that I then mostly only made chairs!’
In 2000, in addition to running short courses with Neil Erasmus from their workshop, Pam was asked to teach a new Woodwork for Women course at the then-existing Dwellingup School of Wood. ‘I’m not sure how many courses I ended up teaching, but it was very successful, and I loved it. A group of us then decided to start up a woman’s woodworking group, (W4) Women Working with Wood.’
From 2003, Pam and Neil taught at Australian School of Fine Furniture for three years before returning to Western Australia. They both continue to mentor others and to teach at Sturt School for Wood in New South Wales.
As a judge for Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec, Pam will draw over 30 years making and mentoring others, however we asked for a little insight into how she would approach the judging.
Pam Erasmus, CDs knees cabinet
Q: If you could sum up the key to mastering skills in fine woodworking, what are the essential attributes that students should possess?
Good hand/eye coordination. Good visualisation skills with the ability to draw and communicate ideas. Patience.
Many people undertake short and year-long courses. How long does it take, in your opinion, to achieve a functional level of mastery?
Wow, that’s a hard one! It all depends on the individual – for some it’s 3 to 6 months, while for others it may take a year or more to develop a basic set of skills and design language.
Harlequin table
What’s most important to you in designing a new piece? What makes a design successful?
Above all, a successful piece for me must be functional and aesthetically pleasing in an honest and practical way. I firmly believe in the “less is more” philosophy, however I love using colour and combining timbers in my work to create a happy home space.
What are the factors most overlooked by makers?
At the very top of the list, wood movement and how to accommodate it, and that furniture can be strong without the use of large, heavy sections of wood.
What defines an award-winning piece in a competition such as this?
Originality. Function. Appropriate construction. Attention to detail. Finish. A striking yet unpretentious piece that catches one’s eye and begs for closer inspection.
Box by Pam Erasmus featuring marquetry inlay
What’s your best to tip to entrants?
Seeing as this is a visual-only competition through photographs, high quality photos are a must, showing true colour and texture of the wood. Detailed shots of the joinery and other elements of the design, such as handles etc.
Obviously not everyone will win an award, do you see value in competition such as these?
Yes definitely, not everyone can win, but entering and getting your work seen and reviewed is an invaluable element in the development of your portfolio. And, of course, if you are successful in winning an award it can be a huge boost to you as a designer maker, as well as to your career.
Learn more about Maker of the Year, presented by Carbatec
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