Joël Urruty

Joël Urruty is an artist creating abstract figurative sculptures. His studio is in Hickory, NC where he works carving and creating unique one of a kind sculptures in both wood and bronze. His work has been shown in Japan as well as various galleries and museums throughout the Unites States. His work has also been widely published in magazines and books. Joël Urruty was born in San Francisco, CA in 1968, the son of Basque immigrants. He earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial technology at San Francisco State University. He apprenticed as a furniture maker under David J. Marks, Master Craftsman, and later went on to earn a Masters of Fine Art in Woodworking and furniture design from School of American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology.

“As an artist I strive to create elegant sculptures that capture the true essence of the subject matter. Form, line and surface are used as the visual language. The figure is abstracted to a minimalist form, void of any superfluous information. The primary material, wood, is often masked by paint to allow the form to take precedence over the material. Monochromatic colors, such as, black or white are often used on the sculptures allowing light and shadow to play off the subtle shifting facets of the sculptures. This is what I do. Why I do it, I don’t really know. I do know that there is something deep inside that drives me to make these things. Things I don’t completely understand myself. But when a piece is finished and it feels right, I know I have done what it was I was suppose to do and move on to the next.” – Joël Urruty