When you step into Brian Boggs’ West Asheville woodworking studio space, you’re immediately taken aback by the eye-catching aesthetics of his furniture. But it’s only when you finally take a moment to sit in one of his signature chairs that you truly understand just what Boggs is all about.
“Chairs are what really excite me. It’s the most sculptural and fluid piece of furniture in the house from a visual standpoint,” Boggs said. “It’s about engineering. I can design all kinds of furniture. And from an artistic standpoint, there’s no limit to the challenges you can come across.”
At 60, Boggs has spent the last 37 years of his life figuring out how to not only construct a beautiful chair, but also one that is incredibly comfortable. It’s about nurturing the client to make sure there’s proper alignment for the spine by following the natural contours of the human body.
“Throughout all these years, I’ve continually thought about the relationship of curves in furniture to your body,” Boggs said. “It’s four curves and the back is three-dimensional. So, it’s a curving cone shape. It’s this complex relationship between the curves and the body and how to make that, so that regardless of the style of chair, the map works every time.”
Originally from Weaverville, Boggs’ family moved out of the area when he was a kid. Ten years ago, he returned to his native Western North Carolina as a highly sought after artisan.
“Whether you’re into making art, viewing or purchasing art, or just experiencing art, Asheville has grown into such an incredible community for that. There’s such a vibrant funkiness to Asheville,” Boggs said.
As a young adult, Boggs came across a book on woodworking. It fascinated him and soon kicked off a never ending quest to learn as much as he could about the craft—by eye and by hand. A longtime member of the esteemed Southern Highland Craft Guild, Boggs has had a lifelong attraction to the rich fabric of art and culture roaming these mountains.
“The artists and creative minds here are innovative and vibrant, with this changing, evolving energy,” Boggs noted.
And within that restless mind of Boggs resides the one key element of remaining a creative entity for your entire life : never once losing that childlike wonder of discovery.
“Instead of losing it, I’ve fed it and grown it. And even if there’s this tension between art and business, the creativity is always being shaped and given attention to,” Boggs said. “As a business owner, you have to make sacrifices, but you can’t forget about the art itself and why you love doing this. That fire within me is contagious across the board to everyone else who works in our shop.”
Walking around his studio, Boggs points out specific details of each intricate piece of furniture. This is clearly someone who deeply respects his craft and those who find comfort—whether artistically or physically—in his work.
“The purpose of what we’re doing is not really to make furniture, because there’s plenty of furniture in the world. We’re doing this to inspire and to reach people, to have them connect with the work that we’re doing, and it’s happening,” Boggs said. “When a person is paying enough attention to let themselves experience what’s going on in here, it’s wonderful to watch. Their expression changes, their face relaxes. There’s an energetic shift, and it says that we’re doing something right.”
This post is adapted from our annual Welcome to Western North Carolina magazine. Click here to read more online, or click here to request your free copy.
