A person wearing safety goggles and a mask taking a selfie outdoors, with a makeshift white surfboard or similar object attached to a wooden stand behind them, surrounded by green foliage.

James Stephenson Shaping a surfboard- 2017

James Stephenson:

James Stephenson is a furniture and object designer based in Newcastle upon Tyne, who first discovered his love of design and craft through shaping surfboards in his dad's shed.

After studying Furniture and Product Design at Northumbria University financial, time and access constraints profoundly shaped the direction of his personal design practice. Later undertaking a full-time role as a product developer at a bespoke luxury furniture manufacturer.

He later co-founded AfterGraft with three of his closest friends, and continues to explore new ways of working, creating pieces that draw on the esoteric visual references of nomadic surf culture and hydrodynamic forms.

His individual practice sits in deliberate contrast to his collective work with AfterGraft, which prioritises accessibility, resourceful use of materials, and democratic making. The limitations he works within have pushed him toward a reactive, material-led approach to design: working with whatever he can get his hands on, and finding an intelligent way of using it.

He is 1/4 of AfterGraft.

@James.stephensonn

Previous:

2025:

“The Car Boot Sale” - London Design Festival, Shoreditch Design Triangle

“Northern Designers” - Under One Roof, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne

2024:

“Under One Roof” - London Design Festival, Shoreditch Design Triangle

“New Designers” - New Designers, Business Design Centre, London

A black, abstract spiky shape resembling a crown or a jagged horizon
A ceramic bowl on a dark surface with sunlight casting a shadow on a textured wall behind it.
A minimalist scene featuring a dark pot on a flat surface against a plain wall with a small portion of artwork visible on the right side.
A wooden bowl with a smooth, rounded shape on a table in a dimly lit room.
A wooden bowl with a smooth, curved design is placed on a work table in a woodworking shop. A person wearing a yellow shirt and white apron is working nearby, with woodworking tools and a cloth visible on the table.
Wooden bowl with a smooth, rounded design placed on a white work surface, surrounded by cloth and workshop tools.
Close-up of a black sculpture resembling a bird or animal head mounted on a white textured brick wall.
A white brick wall with a red wooden African-style mask hanging on it, beside a window with a partially open vertical gray window blind. To the right, a black adjustable desk lamp and a metal shelf with books and a white sculpture of a starfish.
A wooden African tribal mask with a dark reddish-brown finish hanging on a white brick wall.
A red and black mask with a human face shape hangs on a white wall, lit by sunlight.
A black chair in a sparse, industrial room with a window and plain white walls.
A person standing next to a black chair in a minimalistic room with white walls and a window, wearing a white t-shirt and tie-dye pants.
A magazine titled "Stargazer" lies on a wooden floor. The cover features a black and white photograph of a chair with a circular object on top. Sunlight creates shadows across the cover. The subtitle reads "An Elegy for Craft & Material Finish" and t
A wooden chair with a high backrest and a curved seat, placed on a carpeted surface in an indoor space with dim lighting and dark walls.
A dark wooden bowl with an abstract, curved shape placed on a white sheet of paper on a wooden table.
A black, triangular-shaped bowl or dish with a smooth surface, resting on a white surface, with a wooden textured background.
Three black polished stones with smooth, rounded shapes placed on white paper on a wooden workbench in a workshop setting.
Close-up of a black rectangular object, possibly a matchbox, placed on a light-colored wooden surface with a small protruding stick nearby. In the background, there are cardboard tubes and a window with blinds.
A black ceramic bowl placed on a white surface against a plain white background.
A black ceramic bowl on a white pedestal against a plain white background.
Two wooden circular disks placed on a white surface with a metal square frame behind them, partially covering the disks, and green cutting mat visible on the right side.
Close-up view of a wooden bowl on a workbench with tools and a pegboard in the background.
An axe embedded in a piece of wood on a white display platform against a white background.
A person's hand holding a rectangular wooden brush or spatula with a thin stick attached, against a background of dense green foliage.
Hand holding a small black wooden stool with spikes on the legs.
Person sanding a surfboard in a workshop, wearing overalls, mask, and safety glasses.
Two wooden shark fin decorations on a plastic-covered surface.
A wooden bowl sits on a workbench in a woodworking workshop, with nearby tools and a person partially visible in the background.
A wooden bowl with a natural wood finish sits on white paper on a workbench.
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A ceramic bowl on a table with a shadow cast by sunlight on the wall behind it.
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Empty black chair in an unfinished room with a concrete floor, white wall, and a window.
A person standing in a sparsely furnished room next to a window, with a black chair in the foreground and natural light coming in.
A book titled 'Stargazer' with a subtitle 'An Elegy for Craft & Material Finish' by James Stephenson, placed on a wooden floor with sunlight casting shadows.
A modern wooden chair with a high backrest and footrest, placed on an indoor carpeted floor near a wall.
A black, oval-shaped wooden bowl with a smooth finish placed on a white surface, with a rust-colored background.
A black, teardrop-shaped object made of wood sits on white paper on a wooden surface.
Three black, smooth, oval-shaped objects on white paper on a wooden workbench in a workshop.
Close-up of a black computer mouse on a wooden desk with a desk lamp and a cardboard tube in the background.
Black ceramic bowl placed on a white surface with a plain white background.
Black ceramic bowl on a white pedestal against a plain white background.
Photo of a wooden ring mold on a metal stand, used for baking or pastry making, placed on a gray surface.
A wooden bicycle saddle or seat on a table, with tools and a pegboard in the background.
An axe embedded in a piece of textured tree bark with moss on it, placed on a white pedestal against a plain white background.
Person's hand holding a wooden stick or small flat object against a background of dense green shrubbery.
A hand holding a miniature black chair with sharp spikes protruding from the legs, against a plain white background.
Person sanding a white surfboard in a workshop, wearing protective mask and goggles.
Two wooden shark fins placed on crumpled plastic sheet for craft or decoration.