“My work exists at the intersection of ancient Eastern art and philosophy, and minimalist modern architecture and design — blurring the line between art and function.”
Wabi-Sabi meets minimalist modern design.
My designs are inspired by the ancient art and philosophy of Wabi-Sabi which has been most widely associated with Japanese Zen Buddhism for over 1,000 years, its philosophical roots can be found in Taoism nearly 1,500 years earlier. Wabi-Sabi looks to nature and natural phenomenon for its inspiration and sees beauty in the inconspicuous aspects of nature… beauty in things impermanent and incomplete.
Wabi-Sabi philosophy is a recognition that all things/forms are impermanent and in a constant transition from existence to nonexistence. The Wabi-Sabi essence resides in the organic, warm, primal qualities of the highly figured natural wood that form over its lifetime. Where traditional woodworkers consider cracks, knots and unusual grain patterning to be imperfections, I celebrate these unique characteristics. For me the wild variations are an essential presence of the tree, a window into its life experiences.
I freeze this transition between existence and nonexistence to capture that moment of the tree's life cycle and then synthesize the rich, complex, organic forms of natural woods with the crisp, clean minimalist modern features of metal, glass and leather to create evocative, one-of-a-kind, exclusive works of art with a function.