Introduction

Peter Schlech is an award-winning craftsman known for his unique style. He found a passion for the art of woodworking in the design and construction of studio furniture. Inspired by the world around him, Peter started making multi-purpose boxes with some beautifully esthetic designs. In the past few years, his focus has narrowed from furniture to small sculptural work.. Peter’s latest discovery in art has been his original sculptural series. Shown in some of the best galleries around the country, Peter’s work has received a wonderful response for its unique designs and elegance. This work is fresh, and it stands out nicely from turned and carved wood. Enjoy the site and contact us with any questions. Thank you!

Biography

Peter Schlech was born on the Island of Oahu, and was raised and educated in many countries and among many cultures. After attending boarding schools in Scotland and Massachusetts, Peter enrolled in the University of Miami, and later the University of Maryland, to pursuing studies in literature and art. It was in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland that his lifelong passion for working in wood began. After an apprenticeship as a boat builder in Annapolis, Peter began a 30-year career as a designer-builder of yacht interiors. After attending his first exhibition of fine woodworking in 1995, Peter was inspired by the beauty, quality, and freedom of design in the work he saw there, and determined to try his hand in this new field. In the design and construction of studio furniture and accessories, he found a renewed passion for the art of woodworking that quickly became apparent in his new work. Since that time, Peter’s designs have received more than 17 awards for woodworking excellence, and have been featured in local and national publications, galleries and museum collections. Peter continues to live and work in San Diego, California.

Artist’s Statement

"Most of my recent work is the result of a process of exploration and discovery—an attempt to go beyond the bounds of conventional techniques and designs. Each series is an experiment, and I am often as surprised as anyone at the results. In the laminated form, I find a range of expression and freedom of design that allows a balance between the rigid formality of the rectilinear and the amorphism of the strictly organic. While it is often easy to fall into the seductive raps of repetition, imitation and sensationalism, my aesthetic goal remains clear—simplicity of design integrity and the pursuit of beauty. For if we as artists do not impart, if only for a moment, a sense of beauty to the beholder, then we have failed at our task."

--Peter Schlech