Mats Fogelvik was born in Sweden 1959. He is a designer/artist and a woodworker. In 1987, he attended an art and furniture making school in Stockholm, and worked as a teacher for wood shop classes during 1988. His world adventures landed him on Maui in 1991, since then he has been a full time woodworker and furniture maker. Below he explains his philosophy of design.
"We still have a living tradition of woodworking in Sweden, and I was surrounded by old and new furniture in my youth. I have a rich inspirational source to draw from in the Scandinavian heritage and traditions. I am attracted to simplicity, beauty and function in a form. I believe a lot of furniture nowadays is “over designed”. There is a fine balance between beauty, function and sculptural value in a piece, and I am not afraid of using old, well-proven designs in my work to achieve that (balance). It doesn’t take much of a change, or detailing, to add the “personal touch” to a piece. Too much, and the balance is thrown off.
My goal is to create pieces with a “one of a kind quality”, and at the same time the customer will be able to recognize and connect with the piece, on a very emotional level. I believe wood is a living material, and I am excited about bringing out the soul within, to make the wood express itself to you. Listen carefully, and you will hear my furniture speak to you!" ~ Mats Fogelvik
