Jake Brown is a Minneapolis based custom furniture maker, celebrating his tenth year woodworking. He is a graduate of the Vermont Woodworking School’s Fine Woodworking Immersion program. Jake received the Northern Woods Best Original Design award in 2021. He is a member of the Minnesota fine furniture maker collective, Art of the Grain, and has shown his work in various galleries and art fairs around the state.
StatementMy journey as a craftsperson and artist harmonizes with my journey with my mental health—I chose to pursue woodworking a decade ago while in a mental healthcare facility. A few years ago, I came across a study by neuroscientists that showed a correlation between sharp angular shapes with fear and anxiety. I took a glance at my portfolio and realized my headspace and design aesthetic were intertwined. I have since made it my mission to harness what has brought me so much pain and forge it into beauty for all those who interact with my work.
My vision for my work is to alchemize anxiety into solace. My work incorporates sharp lines to cut through the boards and reveal all the unseen facets of grain trees have to offer. Traditionally overlooked grain direction has numerous rich details to offer. Ultimately, I chose to make a floor lamp as a way to bring light into a sometimes-dreary world and illuminate that pain with what was once my own.