Seth Rolland carves, steams, and bends wood into masterful nature-inspired furniture.
The Pacific Northwest, with its mossy forests, misty weather, and dappled light, is a wellspring of inspiration for artists of all mediums. Seth Rolland, who lives in Port Townsend, Washington, draws from these surroundings to create expressive custom furniture and wooden sculpture that fills homes and lives with beauty and meaning. A master of his craft, he has been designing and making furniture since 1990. Employing a variety of hardwood species, Rolland’s work balances form and function: his spare, windswept Wave Desk cleverly hides three drawers and includes a channel for electronic wires for utility’s sake. Other furniture balances harsh angles in wood with large, round stones. This September, Rolland and fellow furniture maker Kevin Reiswig will show new work that uses tree branches as a motif at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts in Washington. Jon Spayde wrote about Rolland’s Salish Sea Bathtub, a boat-inspired vessel for relaxation and rest made from more than 200 individual pieces of sapele, in “Craft That Calms” in the Spring 2024 issue of American Craft.
How do you describe your work or practice in 50 words or less?
I’m a woodworker creating functional and nonfunctional work inspired by plants, animals, and landscapes. I like exploring the properties of the material by experimenting with processes like kerf cutting, bending, and carving techniques to transform rectangular boards back into forms more related to their natural origins.
Wave Desk, 2019, sustainably harvested cherry, 36 x 80 x 32 in.
