10 years ago, we wrote about an up-and-coming craftsman who was breaking into the national scene for his fine furniture. In the decade since, Greg Klassen fathered a viral sensation, has sent his artwork to every corner of the globe, and continues to hone his craft and add to his certified body of work.
Photo courtesy of Greg Klassen
Klassen first began selling his woodwork around 2005 from a booth at the Bellingham Farmers Market. At his day job he salvaged wood scraps to create furnishings, and the success he found there encouraged him to pursue more training. He studied at fine furniture programs in California and Sweden, then founded his business in 2008. Around 2011, he crafted his first River Table, the style that would swiftly come to define the thesis of his body of work.
“The negative space and the hand cut glass all kind of came together,” he says, recounting his experimentation. “I went straight from making one or two to making 10, 15 pieces.”
Klassen’s art is made with fresh and reclaimed wood slabs or logs. After carefully fitting the pieces together to form elegantly winding negative spaces, he hand-cuts and inlays his signature blue glass, creating rivers throughout the piece. Klassen remains focused on crafting these one-of-a-kind pieces, but has branched out to new inspirations.
Photo courtesy of Greg Klassen
“I continue to experiment and try new things. I’ve gone from rivers to lakes, to coastlines, shorelines, and waterfalls,” he says.
Beyond his River Collection, he created an Archipelago series, where burly wood peeks up through the glass to create islands, and his Meander series, which leaves the negative space between wood pieces empty. He thinks he may be up to around 300 Greg Klassen originals. When we first spoke to him in 2013, he was exhibiting in national craft shows and gaining acclaim. Shortly after, in 2014, Klassen’s work was featured on popular art and culture blog Colossal and took off on social sites like Reddit. His River Collection inspired a massive boom of similar-looking furnishings, and his success has taken his pieces all over the world.
“When I started my business, I thought at best I might ship something out of state once or twice a year,” says Klassen.
“Now I’ve shipped all over the U.S., Canada, Virgin Islands … Europe, Asia, a royal palace in Saudi Arabia, a remote island off the east coast of Africa … I never possibly could have imagined that.”
The Klassen family will occasionally pile into a vehicle and hand-deliver pieces to customers. These road trips are opportunities for Klassen to gain inspiration from the varied biomes of the country.
“Last year we did a really fun RV road trip that was a delivery and install in Tennessee, [then drove on to] Florida,” says Klassen, who also notes that the family have visited 31 national parks. “We do all sorts of fun adventures, but when we come back to Whatcom County, we’re always thrilled to be here. We usually think it’s the most beautiful spot on our whole trips.”
Moving forward, Klassen will continue to create his pieces inspired by the movement of woodgrain and waterways. His love for nature in the PNW and passion for his craft have even led him to cofound a sawmill in Lynden called Slab Farm. It will allow him to sustainably source Whatcom County lumber for local artisans to use in their own projects.
Photo courtesy of Greg Klassen
Follow Klassen’s work, his efforts with Charity: Water, and his daily life as an artisan on his website and his Instagram, where you can find him @gregklassen___. Everson, gregklassen.com
