About Yoav Elkayam
I am a craftsman, woodturner and green wood course leader based near Abergavenny, Wales.
For more than a decade, I have been immersed in the world of green woodworking. Turning, carving & teaching in ways that connect people back to material, place & tradition.
My work blends heritage green woodworking with a modern sculptural approach, to create timeless, organic forms and vessels.
"For more than a decade, I have been immersed in the world of green woodworking.
Turning, carving and teaching, in ways that connect people back to material, place and tradition."
My Journey into Green Woodc
I believe craft thrives when generously shared.
Yoav Elkayam, woodturner & instructor
My journey began with a short two-day course, just like the ones I'm offering here, and developed into a lifelong pursuit.
Hand tools and the pole lathe specifically, have been at the heart of my craft. I’ve spent countless hours refining techniques, guiding students through the rhythms of treadle and tool, and exploring how form emerges from a simple, human-powered machine.
Alongside turning, I have dedicated a lot of my time to forging hook tools; the essential, finely balanced instruments that make bowl turning possible. Sharing the knowledge of how to make, sharpen, and use these tools has become a central part of my teaching.
I believe craft thrives when it’s generously shared. Over the years, I’ve taught hundreds of people how to turn their first bowl — whether at festivals, in small group workshops, or in masterclasses in the UK and abroad — always with the intention of opening up not only skills, but confidence, patience, and respect for the material.
Over a decade of experience
Founding, running & teaching greenwoodcraft
I have taught greenwood craft everywhere from UK gatherings & festivals, to greenwood events in Sweden & *...
I have collaborated with makers including ***
Following in the footsteps of Mike Abbott, it was an honour to co-run The Woodland Workshop he created at Brook House Woods in Herefordshire, which became a thriving a centre of creativity, teaching, and community.
Co-founder of Bowl Gathering...
In 2025 I continue to expand my practice with new projects. including establishing a new workshop in a beautiful old timber-framed barn and launching my new course 'The Green Wood Year'.
Today, my family and I are based in Monmouthshire,It’s a place rooted in history but open to fresh possibilities—a home for my own making, for teaching, and for the continued growth of the green woodworking community.
Over a decade of experience
Practicing & teaching greenwood craft
Co-founder of Bowl Gathering
I have taught greenwood craft in countless settings, from UK gatherings and festivals, to green wood events in Italy, Denmark, France and further afield.
Following in the footsteps of Mike Abbott, it was an honour to co-run The Woodland Workshop he created at Brook House Woods, Herefordshire, which became a thriving centre of creativity, teaching, and community.
As co-founder of Bowl Gathering, I feel deeply proud to have played a part in creating a unique celebration of wooden vessels and greenwood craft, held each September on our beautiful farm in Monmouthshire.
This festival is all about hands-on learning and doing: turning with lathes, carving with adzes and gouges, forging tools, and sharing skills with makers from across the UK and beyond. It’s been a joy to see families and beginners alongside experienced artisans, all drawn to the vibrancy of greenwood craft, the music and games around campfires, and the sense that we are keeping traditional making alive in a spirit of generosity, community and creativity.
In 2025, I continued to expand my practice with different projects, including a new workshop space in a 17th century, timber-framed barn, and launching my new course, The Green Wood Year.
Today, my family and I are based in Monmouthshire. It’s a place rooted in history but open to fresh possibilities — a home for my own making, for teaching, and for the continued growth of the green woodworking community.
My Creative Network
