Lee's Bee Smoker

Lee was given the broken bee smoker by a friend who found it at the tip. It probably could be fixed but Lee says “as if you could be bothered”. Rather than see it restored she joked she’d prefer to have it turned into a robot.

Repairer Henry Wilson reiterates these sentiments stating “it’s hard to repair in 2016”. Wilson’s original plan was to restore the smoker to its original condition but on close inspection it became evident that repairing the leather bellows would be difficult - an electronic transformation would be far easier. He sees this as a critical intervention: a warning about the diminishing capacity for craftspeople to source materials in our cities, and a comment on the popularity of electronically powered products over manual ones.

Design Repairer: Henry Wilson

Henry is a designer based in Sydney, Australia. After graduating in Visual Arts (woodwork) from The Australian National University in Canberra, he received the HSP Huygens Scholarship for Postgraduate Studies (Design) at The Design Academy Eindhoven. In 2012, Henry set up a research and conceptual design studio, Studio Henry Wilson, producing products, furniture and interiors that are considered and durable, with a focus on honest resolutions and longevity.

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Lee's Bee Smoker. Repaired by Henry Wilson. Photos by Lee Grant. Image copyright Hotel Hotel.