Kynan Robinson-Keane

Kynan Robinson-Keane is a New Zealand furniture designer and maker based in Auckland whose work synthesises fine craft, thoughtful design and technical precision. After gaining experience building high-end and bespoke furniture in both professional and collaborative settings, he chose to pursue a freelance making practice that allows him to deeply explore his creative identity and place within the craft of furniture making.

Kynan’s formative training included study under some of Aotearoa’s most accomplished craftspeople at the Centre for Fine Woodworking, New Zealand’s premier woodworking and furniture design school, where emphasis on hand skills, joinery and material integrity offered a compelling contrast to the scale-oriented nature of much of the wider industry. This period was pivotal, fostering his appreciation for hand-formed detailing and the refined, deliberate approach to making characteristic of Japanese craft philosophy—where respect for materials and process is paramount.

Today his work reflects this blend of conceptual design and meticulous handwork. Drawing on both traditional craft methodologies and contemporary techniques, Kynan creates furniture that is thoughtful in proportion, honest in construction and expressive in form, each piece a testament to disciplined making and refined design.