I was born in Cody, Wyoming and have lived in Nebraska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia and Ghana.  For the past 20 years I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon where I now live with my wife, Jamin London Tinsel, a high school teacher and ceramic artist, and two daughters.

Maker’s Statement

A worn stone in a creek bed is created by two interacting forces.  Born jagged and wild, it breaks from its mountain to tumble downhill.  Over time the force of water works it smooth, making it presentable in the society of the stream.

In my furniture, I want to highlight a similar interaction between wood and our human hands.  The wood comes raw and expressive, showing telltale signs of the struggle of life and growth.  Then we come along, shaping and polishing, making that struggle into something digestible, cultured; something we want to touch and live next to.  I want to see evidence of the tree’s struggle in my furniture, I want to see evidence of the working of human minds and hands.

Conventionally, a piece of furniture such as a chair or table is made up of outside-facing parts with few interior spaces created.  Other pieces such as a sideboard or chest of drawers are made to create interior spaces for storage, but these interior spaces are hidden and not so involved in the conversation created when viewing the piece.  In my work, I want to create artful pieces of furniture that are like vessels, containing and displaying interior space.  They show a compelling silhouette, but also imply space within and invite a peek at an interior as one looks in from the outside.

– Ryan Tinsel