Bio
Jacqui Stewart is a maker and designer of furniture and functional objects from Charlottesville, Virginia. She received her BFA in Craft and Material Studies with a concentration in wood and secondary concentrations in clay and metal from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2019. She is interested in the ability of objects to speak into the world in which they exist and, in some cases, to subvert expectations. Her work combines mid-century modern and Danish influences along with wider international influences in pieces made to bring elegance, comfort, and utility to everyday spaces.
Statement
"I became a farmer after realizing that art is much bigger than what you hang on a wall in a gallery." - Mickey Murch.
I have left art school and become a furniture maker. In a sense, I see the whole of my life as my practice, and furniture making is a tangible, active part of that. As human beings, our actions speak into and influence the world around us. They impact individual lives, our communities, and the culture at large. My work, and my life, are successful when they love people well, contributing to community, bringing healing to lives and hearts, and restoring the health and wholeness of the economy, the environment, and relationships.
My furniture is handcrafted, bearing mid-century modern, Danish, and East Asian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern influences, which have formed my aesthetic tendencies. Each piece is clean and simple in form, so as not to distract, yet harmonious in design and constructed with acute attention to detail to create a comfortable and hospitable environment in which people connect. My work tells the story of its making; it will mature to tell the story of its use; and, when fulfilling its intended purpose, it will facilitate the sharing of many life stories, between people and, hopefully, between cultures.