About Brian Hubel, Maker and Designer of Fine Furniture
EXCEPTIONAL FURNITURE
DESIGNED AND CRAFTED TO LAST FOR GENERATIONS
DESIGNED AND CRAFTED TO LAST FOR GENERATIONS
My journey in woodworking started in my grandfather’s woodshed when I was a kid, but it truly became my outlet on my 17th birthday when my mom gifted me with a table saw. 30 years later, creating in wood is still my passion.
I didn’t always plan on being a professional woodworker. During college, I took on the odd woodworking job, mainly for friends and family, to subsidize my income. But, after graduating college with degrees in Chemistry, Biology, and Criminal Justice, I realized that my passion lay in a wood shop, not in a forensics lab. This realization led me to start my own furniture studio in 1998, where I explore and create to this day.
I am one hundred percent self-taught and have always been driven to learn by trial and error. This approach has been the key to my success. It has afforded me the freedom to explore my craft without those types of external influences that too often inhibit creativity and innovation. Through this freedom, I have developed unique techniques in my creations and enjoy the liberated exploration and discovery of my own brand of craftsmanship. These days, I enjoy incorporating this form of creative freedom into my woodworking and furniture classes, and it has been highly satisfying to see my students develop their own unique styles throughout their learning experiences with me.
Over the years, the focus of my work has remained consistent. I believe a fine piece of furniture should stand on its own. It should be graceful, yet strong. Natural beauty and unique lines are timeless and should be celebrated and showcased. A piece is so much more than just another object in the room — it is functional art. Designing and creating beautiful, functional studio furniture by hand is the purpose behind and satisfaction in my work.
My creations start not on a drawing table but as a mental image. Concepts become sketches; sketches become instincts. I rarely work from detailed plans since I find them to be entirely too confining. Instead, I trace the characteristics of the wood as it represents itself through the concept. One constant in every design is that there is at least a subtle hint of Asian influence as I let the lines and shapes of the project reveal themselves organically. As I work through each piece, there is always aesthetic and structural evolution. This evolution allows each piece a beautiful and elegant freedom.
I didn’t always plan on being a professional woodworker. During college, I took on the odd woodworking job, mainly for friends and family, to subsidize my income. But, after graduating college with degrees in Chemistry, Biology, and Criminal Justice, I realized that my passion lay in a wood shop, not in a forensics lab. This realization led me to start my own furniture studio in 1998, where I explore and create to this day.
I am one hundred percent self-taught and have always been driven to learn by trial and error. This approach has been the key to my success. It has afforded me the freedom to explore my craft without those types of external influences that too often inhibit creativity and innovation. Through this freedom, I have developed unique techniques in my creations and enjoy the liberated exploration and discovery of my own brand of craftsmanship. These days, I enjoy incorporating this form of creative freedom into my woodworking and furniture classes, and it has been highly satisfying to see my students develop their own unique styles throughout their learning experiences with me.
Over the years, the focus of my work has remained consistent. I believe a fine piece of furniture should stand on its own. It should be graceful, yet strong. Natural beauty and unique lines are timeless and should be celebrated and showcased. A piece is so much more than just another object in the room — it is functional art. Designing and creating beautiful, functional studio furniture by hand is the purpose behind and satisfaction in my work.
My creations start not on a drawing table but as a mental image. Concepts become sketches; sketches become instincts. I rarely work from detailed plans since I find them to be entirely too confining. Instead, I trace the characteristics of the wood as it represents itself through the concept. One constant in every design is that there is at least a subtle hint of Asian influence as I let the lines and shapes of the project reveal themselves organically. As I work through each piece, there is always aesthetic and structural evolution. This evolution allows each piece a beautiful and elegant freedom.
"I believe a piece of furniture should stand on its own. It should be graceful, yet strong. Something you never tire of viewing."
Brian A. Hubel
Brian A. Hubel
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AWARDS
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PUBLICATIONS
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EXHIBITIONS
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- Scottsdale Arts Festival, First Place in Wood Art Category 2017
- "Design In Wood" exhibit 2nd + 3rd Place showing 2015
- "From The Earth" exhibit Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, First Place 2012
- Scottsdale Arts Festival, First Place in Wood Art Category 2010
- Design Portfolio, Custom Woodworking Business 2008
- Design Portfolio, Custom Woodworking Business 2007
- Fine Woodworking Exhibition, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum 2004
- Fine Woodworking Magazine, October 2016
- Fine Woodworking Magazine, June 2016
- Good Woodworking Magazine, April 2016
- Popular Woodworking Magazine, June 2015
- American Woodworker Magazine, April/May 2012
- Colorado Homes and Lifestyle Magazine, March 2011
- 500 Cabinets, Lark Publishing 2010
- 500 Tables, Lark Publishing 2010
- Source+Design Magazine 2008
- Luxe Magazine, Vol #4, Issue #1, 2008
- CWB Magazine, Feb., 2007
- Woodworkers West Magazine, Nov/Dec 2005
- The Gazette Newspaper, August 27th, 2004
- Scottsdale Arts Festival, 2016,2017,2019 Scottsdale AZ
- Design In Wood, 2015, San Diego, CA
- ART Denver, 2014, Denver, CO
- Cherry Creek Art Festival, 2014,2016 Denver, CO
- Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, 2012, 2013, Palmer Lake, CO
- Scottsdale Arts Festival 2010-2013, Scottsdale AZ
- International Contemporary Furniture Fair, 2011, NYC, NY
- Architectural Digest Home Show, 2011, NYC, NY
- Cherry Cheek Arts Festival, 2010, Denver, CO
- Masters in the Art of Furniture, 2006, Shidoni Gallery, Santa Fe NM
- Fabric, Furniture and Furnishings, 2006, Steamboat Springs, CO
- Collectors Event, 2003-2006, Shidoni Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
- Denver International Airport, 2005, Denver CO
- Pioneers Museum, 2002-2004, Colorado Springs CO