Chandler McLellan: The New-wave Sculptor Transcending Time

“I am inspired by the past and the renditions of the future,” says Chandler McLellan, who lives and works amongst the wildly beautiful landscapes of Wyoming. A trained carpenter, with a degree in archaeology, Chandler takes a lead from the land to create striking furniture and sculptural woodworks – in walnut, white oak and painted maple – that are an antithesis to the man-made world we live in today. “I am a believer that quality is the thing that makes art last forever and holds true cultural value,” he says.

Thus, the Andes Huntsman chair is a handsome artefact with a walnut frame and nubuck sling seat (the kind you could sit in for hours); the Mammal lamp sees grained walnut carved into an animal form that might have adorned a pre-historic cave, while Osho is a tall pedestal perched totem.

As much as he looks back, to archaeological artefacts and ruins, he looks ahead into modern architecture and science fiction, resulting in futuristic forms carved from natural matter. Chandler’s pieces spark different perspectives. “I hope to create objects that inspire stories, interpretation, and imagination, regardless of the passage of time,” he says. “I believe that the imagination is the most important feature of the human mind. It is the thing that helps us solve problems and overcome unfavourable conditions. My overriding mission is to stoke dreams and transport people to unknown places, driving the creative forces of the generations to come.”