As you enter into the world of woodworking, you will soon find that there are master craftsmen and women whose work will knock you off of your feet. With a variety of styles and backgrounds, investing time into reviewing the best woodworkers work can be incredibly impactful.
The 7 best woodworkers in the world Start include Sam Maloof, Wharton Esherick, George Nakashima, and Wendell Castle, who all design a variety of pieces ranging from functional and fine furniture, decorative furnishings, architectural structures, smaller pieces with remarkable detail, cabinetry, rocking chairs, and more. With a variety of influential styles, they are worth looking into. This list is incomplete but a good start.
So, whether you are new to woodworking or are an accomplished woodworking veteran, there is still so much to gain by spending time admiring the work of 7 of the best woodworkers to have ever roamed the planet. By taking a closer look at their background, may you be inspired to embrace your own creativity and passion. Without further adieu, let’s look at who are the 7 best woodworkers in the world.
1. Sam Maloof
Sam Maloof is one of the most impressive woodworkers globally, not only because of his attention to detail and passion for the craft but also because he appreciates all walks of life and makes absolutely astounding woodworking pieces for any to be able to appreciate. Truly, regardless of the type of furniture or other woodworking pieces that Sam Maloof works on, it is sure to stand out among the rest.
Regarding his location and background, Sam Maloof is the son of Middle Eastern immigrants, which was just one reason he has expressed cherishing the opportunity to create furniture for all walks of life regardless of background or social/economic status. This has led him to great success in being renowned throughout the world for his masterful work.
Still, he is a self-taught furniture designer and woodworker and has been California-based for most of his life. He, like many other famous woodworkers, prides himself on his self-education in the realm of woodworking, as many of the reputations of famous woodworkers would serve to prove that the high level of skills and creativity fostered by self-education can be incomparable to what others find in a formal education setting.
Sam Maloof has many awards for his woodworking, including being the first craftsman to receive the MacArthur fellowship. This fellowship provided him the means to truly thrive in his field. His reputation follows him as his work can be found at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, among many other awe-inspiring locations.
He has set up a live museum that rests in a gorgeous lemon tree grove in California. This serene location has even been named a national historic landmark that travelers from near and far can visit. It is called the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts, and it presents live events that vary based on the season. You can check out their website here.
Here, you can find many of the works of Sam Maloof, including, perhaps, his most well-known piece of furniture: rocking chairs. His rocking chairs are quite possibly the furniture piece that has made him the most famous in his woodworking sphere. They have even been enjoyed by former Presidents of the United States, including Carter and Raegan. Even Ray Charles has enjoyed his time spent relaxing in one of Maloof’s famous rockers.
So, if you are looking to be inspired by a woodworker who comes from humble beginnings yet whose furniture and other types of work will blow you away, look no further than Sam Maloof.
2. Wharton Esherick
Wharton Esherick is yet another one of the world’s most impressive woodworkers, yet his work stands out for a variety of other reasons compared to most artisans. Particularly, Wharton Esherick reportedly saw himself as more of an artist than a craftsman, which gravely influenced his woodworking projects- intrinsically captivating and mainly wooden sculptures.
Regarding his educational background and location, Wharton Esherick spent most of his days sculpting wooden sculptures in the middle of the serene natural beauty of middle Pennsylvania. Still, his education came from a variety of locations. Particularly, since he always knew that he wanted to work in the arts, Esherick shadowed a painter (an Impressionist) at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Yet, while he was able to respect and admire the creativity that comes with painting, he knew that this alone would not fulfill his creative desires. Instead, he began hand carving his own frames to surround his paintings, and he began to find that not only was he more fulfilled in this type of artwork, but so were the people who came to admire (and purchase) his work.
Consequently, he set out on a path of creativity in the arts via sculpting, mainly with wooden materials. He was a profound leader in his field, particularly in the Studio Furniture Movement. He inspired many to look past the initial natural wood grain and peer more deeply into how the wood could speak to the artist or creator to advance this natural beauty into something more.
He also participated in the 1940s New York World’s Fair and won a gold medal from the New York Architectural League through his masterful woodworking creations. Still, today you can find many of his classic pieces, furnishings, and designs at a National Historic Landmark for Architecture in Chester County, PA. The museum is called the Wharton Esherick Museum and was originally his studio that he built over the course of 40 years. Now, it is open to the public for viewing and various events. You can visit the website here.https://whartonesherickmuseum.org/
Most notably, Wharton Esherick is known for his wooden sculptures, furniture, and decorative furnishings that various settings and offerings have embraced. If you are looking for a woodworker to show you how creativity can be captured, designed, and released into a beautiful work of art, look no further than Wharton Esherick for inspiration.
3. Arthur Esperet Carpenter
With the last name of “Carpenter,” it should be no surprise that Arthur Esperet Carpenter became well-known throughout the world for his incredible woodworking talents. Still, this name was more than bestowed on him as he soon earned the title and many different awards (formally and informally) that recognized him as one of the top performers in this craft.
Regarding his educational background and location, Arthur Esperet Carpenter is an interesting find among woodworkers. While he was an American born in New York who lived in California, he had a creative background that came more from his desire to live the life he always dreamed of living and pursuing what ultimately made him happy.
First, he had a BA in Economics and a BA in English as a 1942 Dartmouth graduate. Then, he was in the United States Naval Academy for 4 years. After this, he moved to California in search of a career that would be a means to express his creativity. Arthur Esperet Carpenter was highly recognized for his desire and ability, to begin with, minimal woodworking knowledge or skills and yet to work diligently to create beautiful pieces that could appeal to the senses (and could provide a means for him to be satisfied in his career).
His humble beginnings in the woodworking sphere are perhaps one of the most impressive components of his story (outside, of course, of the impressive components in his woodworking projects). He was a member of the Balinese Craft Guild and was well-known for his masterful craftsmanship when it came to fine furniture.
In his humble beginnings as a woodworker (after leaving the United States Navy and moving to California), he worked from creating smaller to larger pieces as he slowly but surely earned enough to invest in larger and more specialized tools and machinery to achieve what his creativity longed to construct.
He was a self-taught fine furniture maker even though he worked originally on much smaller pieces like beautiful wooden bowls and other types of merchandise. Still, in his woodworking philosophy, he sought to design furniture pieces that were useful and functional, with utility being his main goal in all of his pieces.
Yet, he also wanted to appeal to the senses through sight, touch, and even smell. So, his woodworking masterpieces were not only practical but were constructed with intricate details that immediately captured the potential buyer of a cherished piece.
Perhaps his most well-known piece of fine furniture included his wishbone chair and desk. While these were entirely practical and could be used for various settings, they each had a unique appeal to the senses that took this piece from practical to beautiful in an easy swoop. This was mainly embellished through the scalloped seashell sides on the desk and chair, something that caught the eye’s attention and yet lunged a viewer into another realm of the senses.
4. George Nakashima
George Nakashima is another one of the best woodworkers globally, and his background (both personally and professionally) is captivating beyond measure. Much more, his woodworking masterpieces have become known throughout the world for their simplistic yet contemporary feel. He has crafted just about every type of piece, yet his versatility does not take away from his masterful work.
In terms of educational background and location, George Nakashima comes from humble beginnings in Washington state, yet lived in Pennsylvania for a good portion of his life. His Japanese heritage played a large role in his inspiration (and many other events- both good and bad that happened in his life).
Interestingly, George Nakashima studied Architectural Studies at MIT in Boston, MA, and is consequently known as a famous American architect. Yet, he also achieved incredible accomplishments as a furniture maker and woodworker. He worked for practically all of his life- and especially all of his adult life.
Heartbreakingly, this even includes when he was placed in a Japanese internment camp with his family (including his wife and infant daughter) beginning in 1942. Yet, George Nakashima’s perseverance and resilience continued to shine through these horrible atrocities, even after his wife and his daughter were released from the internment camp (while many of his family members were not).
Still, his achievements are nothing short of profound. He sought to propagate the human relationship with the natural world in contradiction with the then (and now) popular belief that humans are the center of the world. Consequently, he created woodworking masterpieces that showcased natural beauty. Yet, he would disagree that they should be epitomized as the center of the world (or even the owner of said piece’s world).
Instead, he hoped that his work would point others towards the relationship with nature and the gift it is to humans- especially woodworkers who work primarily with its natural elements. In this, he saw creativity as intertwined with spirituality- as one means to achieve the other and to find wholeness and one’s place within the world.
Known as a contemporary woodworker, he made just about everything from beds to benches, coffee tables, and more. Most of his furnishings were entirely functional, yet they held a contemporary simplicity that points us to the natural beauty found within the world- something that we do not have to make overly complex.
George Nakashima’s family continues to perpetuate his legacy as his woodworking skills continue to be passed down. Yet, even more impressive, the legacy in his beliefs and his resilience is something that we can all hold close and learn much from as well.
5. James Krenov
James Krenov is another masterful woodworker, known to be one of the top craftsmen in the world. Plus, he is famous for his cabinetry and other woodworking projects, but he was a teacher in various locations throughout the world. So, it is no surprise that his remarkable work has been picked up and admired worldwide.
Particularly, he is a Swedish furniture maker who specializes in cabinetry. Yet, he had spent most of his life in California (of course, when he was not traveling to teach others his masterful craft in all locations throughout the planet). Still, even when he was not traveling to teach others the ins and outs of his trade, he was teaching as his philosophy on woodworking has been captured in a series of books that have become staples for any woodworker.
James Krenov was particularly recognized for his philosophy, similar to many other woodworkers, in finding a career that could allow your creativity to soar- something that made him entirely happy in terms of his career choice. Even more, he is known for encouraging others not to be unhappy in their work but to “live the life you want to live,” as he truly embraced this philosophy for himself in his own life and work.
Of course, this life philosophy would make anyone popular. Still, it was desirable coming from someone who could make a life and a living for himself doing what he loved- and what he was so incredibly talented at. This is yet another reason that his books became so popular: people want to emulate a person who is living out his or her dreams, and James Krenov does just that with his world-renowned woodworking.
James Krenov was a master of cabinetry- something that has a unique sense of utility and precision when it comes to making all of the right cuts and angles. Dovetail and box joints are not something that just anyone can achieve, and Krenov was able to master this and teach others how to do the same in their own respective work.
Creating the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking School in California, Krenov taught many woodworking students who then went on to achieve their own success in cabinetry and other types of woodworking. While he also taught all over the world, he was known most for being a studio furniture maker- someone who could truly teach well and master his craft in the studio as he helped others acquire and replicate similar skills.
Once he grew older, he eventually retired from cabinetry (although his legacy would never truly allow him to retire from teaching this trade). Then, he began diving deep into making wooden hand planes (among other small woodworking pieces), where he utilized his agility and precision but on a smaller (and arguably difficult) scale.
If you are looking to learn from a masterful woodworker, James Krenov is someone whose work you can study through and through, but you can also learn practically from the variety of books he has published. And, if you really want to live in his legacy, you could even check out the present-day College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking School, where his legacy continues to live on.
6. Wendell Castle
There are so many amazing woodworkers throughout the world, but Wendell Castle is one of the best. Known throughout the globe (and particularly famous in the United States), Castle’s work has been awarded much prestige and featured in a variety of fascinating and admirable locations, too.
Wendell Castle has a unique educational background that carried him throughout the beginning stages of his career. He utilized educational institutions as a means to transform the world of woodworking both for himself and the students he taught. He is an American woodworker born in Kansas and spent time in many locations throughout the country.
He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design from the University of Kansas. Then, he went on to pursue his Masters of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the same university. This educational background was highly influential in Castle finding and achieving his own success in designing and creating fine woodworking sculptures and other furniture pieces.
Interestingly, Wendell Castle has been referred to as the father of the American studio furniture movement. However, there have been many other woodworkers who have become famous for achieving success in studio furniture. His inspirational achievements have been consistently followed up by reception and admiration from woodworkers throughout the globe.
For his woodworking with furniture and sculptures (and some sculptures designed to act as furniture), Wendell Castle grew a good bit of fame and achieved quite a few awards. For example, he received the Modernism Lifetime Achievement Award from the Brooklyn Museum, which bestowed his modern sculptures and furniture pieces into a realm of their own.
In addition to this, he also received various grants from endowments and foundations as he was trusted in his ability to create woodworking masterpieces using various techniques that he so skillfully mastered. Even more so, these grants allowed him to teach others his skills and some of the ins and outs of his work, too.
You can find various Wendell Castle’s most famous woodworking sculptures and furniture pieces in the MET, Smithsonian, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Detroit Art Institute, the Museum of Fine arts in Boston, and several other prestigious locations. He also has a list of periodicals, books, published writings, and films. If you are looking for a woodworker to be inspired in the realm of modernism and wooden sculptures, Castle’s work is sure to impress you.
7. Jory Brigham
Finally, the last on our list of the best 7 woodworkers globally (but certainly not the least popular or creative) is Jory Brigham. This woodworker comes from a long line of creatives, yet he has been able to master his own unique set of creative eyes and hands and continues to dominate in creating natural pieces with unique measures of beauty.
Something that has made this American woodworker even more famous (besides his skillful craftsmanship) is that he can utilize his own creativity and has not had to rely on formal education methods to achieve his woodworking success. Mainly, his educational background stems mostly from lived experience and watching his family members achieve success on their own.
Coming from a line of woodworkers and craftsmen, Jory Brigham learned to keep a close eye on the skills (and the people who had them) that were deeply attractive to him from a young age. This sent him down the road of limited formal education but high levels of informal education working alongside his family members (who would soon be surpassed by his success).
Another component of Jory Brigham’s success as one of the best woodworkers in the world is his overall approach, philosophy, and respect for nature and the laws that have been put in place to protect it. Even more so, he does not enjoy mechanized tools (as modern philosophy would prefer). Still, he prefers the slow pace and natural creativity that is fostered with hand tools and raw wood (among other materials) that can help foster some of the uniqueness that his pieces are so famous for.
Specifically, Jory Brigham prefers a more classic approach to allowing the wood that he is working with to direct him and his work rather than vice versa. He can use the natural wood grain and masterfully create a furniture piece or another type of project that goes consistently with the grain pattern instead of bucking against it (and potentially taking away some of the natural beauty from the raw material).
Jory Brigham is most famous for his woodworking pieces that are functional and yet entirely gorgeous- a unique blend of contemporary design with a more old school (slow-paced) creativity woven into every fiber of the project. He has made furniture like natural wood beds, seating, entertainment, tables, storage, and more. Truly, if you are looking for a piece that will impress your friends and family (and be cherished by you and your loved ones for years to come), then check out Jory Brigham to see what success and beauty in the woodworking world look like.
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