Born in 1980, Benoît Averly grew up in the Burgundy region of France. He graduated from high school in 1999 and then worked in different fields and travelled in several countries in Europe and North America. He began turning wood in 2002 with Gilbert Buffard and made it his profession in 2003. In the spring of 2004 he had the chance to work with well known turner Richard Raffan from whom he learnt a lot about design and production. He has been Raffan’s workshop assistant in both France and the United States. He maintains contact with Richard Raffan who has been an inspirational mentor for him. The development of his work has extended to include woodcarving.

In 2005 Benoît was invited to the Provo woodturning symposium in the United States where he exhibited and demonstrated. He learnt a lot during this trip and met woodturners from all over the world. This has led to his being invited abroad again for demonstrations and exhibitions. In the spring of 2006 Benoît won the national contest for young craft artists "Concours Jeunes Createurs" organized by Ateliers d’Art de France and later in the same year he won the "Prix Départemental de la SEMA"

Eli Avisera was born in 1960. He grew up, studied and continues to live in Jerusalem. Between the years 1973-1977 he studied at the School of Wood Art in Jerusalem. Since then Eli has been a professional woodworker.

As an international woodturning demonstrator and teacher Eli has been invited to many countries to show his unique variety of techniques. He uses a line of his own signature tools which have been developed and based on over 30 years of experience in woodturning.

In 1988 Eli established the "Wood Craft Centre" where he teaches workshops for furniture making, woodturning and carving at all skill levels. To date he has taught hundreds of students and has been instrumental in promoting this art.

He is a frequent contributor of articles on woodturning to both ‘Woodturning’ and ‘The Woodworker’ magazines and is much in demand as a demonstrator and teacher. 

He says this about himself…

“When I meet other woodturners for the first time they sometimes ask me what I make. No matter how many times it happens, it always confounds me. I want to say that I'll make 'anything you want, as long as it’s round', after the style of Henry Ford's 'any colour you like, so long as it’s black', but the question always makes me feel slightly inadequate because I haven't got that 'single item' speciality that seems to be expected of me”.

Although he still enjoys making the woodturner’s usual spectrum of bowls, boxes, hollow forms and, more commercially, staircase spindles, newels, table legs and so on, Bob is currently developing his own definitive style of work. He has begun exploring ways in which turned objects can be cut and reconstructed, as well as making them more interactive, to be rearranged to create different effects, rather than simply viewed from a single perspective.

Mick Hanbury was born in Cyprus, the son of a soldier, and travelled around Europe for most of his childhood. He spent a lot of time in Germany and hence is fluent in German and can teach in German.

He started his career as a cabinet maker where he made all manner of artifacts. Around 18 years ago he took to woodturning and since then has grown in stature to become one of the finest artistic turners.

From a farm at the foothills of Mount Leinster, Co Carlow, Ireland, Glenn developed a love of working with wood at an early age. At sixteen he became passionate about woodturning. He realised quickly that there was a demand for his well-designed and handcrafted pieces.

On finishing school in 1993 he began an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker where he learned many new skills. In 1996 he set up his own business as a woodturner and undertook a two year business course with the Crafts Council of Ireland in Kilkenny and Carlingford, Co Louth. Since then demand for his work has grown steadily.

Mike Mahoney has been a professional wood turner since 1994. His bowls are featured in galleries across the United States. Mike’s work is sought after by collectors all over the world. Mike is often requested to demonstrate and teach for woodturning clubs, craft schools and symposia. He has travelled around the world to discuss and demonstrate his craft.

Joey, as well as being a mother and housewife, is a professional turner who first became interested in woodturning in 1993 after attending classes with Chris Stott RPT and Stuart Mortimer RPT

She is on the register of professional turners held by the Worshipful Company of Turners, a member of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain (AWGB) and the Association of American Woodturners (AAW).

In 1998 she tentatively entered her first competitive work, ‘The Planets’ in the International Woodturning Show at Wembley where she gained the runner-up prize. This spurred her on to more competition work where she gained many firsts and trophies for her innovative work gradually honing her skills until in 2002 she was accepted on the Register of Professional Turners. Continuing with her competition work she won the Gold Medal at the International Woodworking Show at Alexandra Palace in the Prestige category in 2004.

Al Stirt has been a professional woodturner for more than 30 years. His work is included in numerous public and private collections, including the Smithsonian, the White House and the American Craft Museum. He has demonstrated and taught about woodturning & design in England, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada as well as throughout the U.S. In 1997 the American Association of Woodturners awarded him an Honorary Lifetime Membership for his commitment and contributions to the field of woodturning.