My work wanders back and forth between the three and two-dimensional realms. I’ve found my way as a builder, problem solver and critical thinker. After five years at Syracuse University in the Industrial Design program, I headed to Minneapolis where I was introduced to the furniture industry. The visual simplicity, craftsmanship and room for material inspiration attracted me to furniture. I’ve made my way back to Portland by way of Boston, upstate New York, Minneapolis and Berkeley. Along the way I’ve designed both pieces for mass production as well custom fabricated work. I now run a small design studio here in Portland, where I am exploring the overlap of graphic design with furniture & interior design.

After being away from the built world for a year or so, its great to finally get my hands dirty again. I am most content when learning a new skill, collaborating with other artists or perfecting a craft. With this chaboo I did all that. I took Ken’s original design and explored working with felt, (a new material for me), sewing (a new process) and resin (I’m new to resin inlaying). The linear pattern stemmed from a delicate refinement that many designers strive to achieve paired with the visibility of the stroke of the artist. As a designer with a hand in the fabrication world, I enjoy exploring the relationship between perfectly handcrafted objects that perhaps could be mistaken for a commodity item and objects that portray a craft and the intentional hand of the artist