Ashley Joseph Martin
Woodcarver
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Recommended by American Craft Council
Carving fluted silhouettes
- Ashley’s functional works in wood take imaginative forms
- After a career as a pilot, he dedicated his life to wood carving
- His unique pieces can be found in galleries and private collections
Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ashley Joseph Martin makes furniture, lamps and vessels with dynamic textures and whimsical shapes reminiscent of creatures and landscapes. "Wood has always been a part of my life," he says. Raised in the Pennsylvania countryside, Ashley cherishes memories of walking in the forest and watching his father work in the wood shop. Although he went to school for aviation and became a pilot, he redirected his life toward woodworking in 2015, moving to Asheville, North Carolina for a full-time apprenticeship. Rather than going to art school, he learned his craft on the job. Today, Ashley enjoys using traditional hand tools and techniques to create expressive, contemporary pieces in maple and walnut. His work has been exhibited at Design Miami, a global forum for collectible design.
INTERVIEW
Using my hands, getting lost in the process and seeing something tangible take shape are beautiful and inspiring. It is almost spiritual to devote my life to getting better at wood carving. It makes my existence feel purposeful.
I enjoy working with hand tools, specifically the gouge, the chisel and the knife. It is the most connected way of working with wood, and involves labour and concentration that I find immensely satisfying.
Some of my earliest memories are of watching my father, a cabinetmaker, work in his shop. He passed away when I was young, so my technical skills do not come from him, but I feel something has been passed down and his passion lives on through me.
In 2015, I was working as a full-time pilot and carving in my free time. One day, I woke up and decided I was going to quit the aviation industry and pursue the craft.
