One Day : Henry Kinman - Rock climber and hold maker
Location : Peak District, UK
Profession / passion : Rock climber and hold maker
Instagram : @lockholds
One Day is an ongoing project sparked by the Covid-19. In the days of isolation we would like to focus on what we do best; bringing people together. Read more about the project here.
We will be posting one new day of someones life every day until we run out of contributors. See our instagram stories to experience these peoples One Day in action.
What is the story behind your profession/ passion?
I’ve been a rock climber for 18 years & studied fine art at Chelsea, where I specialised in drawing and sculpture.
After graduation I worked for Testino as his in-house art buyer and then went on to set up a contemporary art gallery in London / New York over 5 year period as well as doing the international art fair Circuit.
I left the art world as I felt unsatisfied with running a gallery and felt the elitist nature of the art world restricted creativity rather than inspire it.
I closed my doors and spent the next 3 years travelling around Europe rock climbing, living out of a hammock and eventually upgrading to a van.
When London went in to lock down I took the van and moved up to the peak district, where the idea of Lock Holds came about.
How do you want people to react to your work?
I want people to instantly feel the need grab onto my work, hold it and never let go.
How has the current situation affected your work?
It’s restrictive but essentially enabled Lock to come into fruition. I lost all of my freelance work due to the virus and needed another means of income. Now we have a 4 week wait list and supplying holds to clients across uk, Europe and US. Products will be broadening beyond climbing holds and will be integrating art influence as inherent element of brand identity.
Define what beauty means to you.
Simplicity with precision.
Function or form?
In design I believe function/form are non-mutually exclusive. Both fully rely upon one another & that’s what good design is about.
What does freedom mean to you?
Climbing rocks & being in the mountains.