Conor Keeling

Conor Keeling is a Chicago based artist, designer and maker. He creates sculp­tural objects and furni­ture that encour­age curios­ity and care. His pieces are often exper­i­men­tal and incor­po­rate bent-wood and stack lami­na­tion to produce organic forms.

Conor received a BFA in product design from Colum­bia College Chicago in 2017. After a few years working as a fabri­ca­tor, he started working inde­pen­dently out of a shared studio space in 2019, where he devel­ops custom furni­ture and objects. Recently, Conor began teach­ing wood­work­ing classes at CIADC.

“My work is informed by a passion for under­stand­ing the natural world and our connec­tion with it. I strive to make things that feel as if they continue to live and grow; as if they spon­ta­neously came into exis­tence through a will of their own. I think this impulse is why I was drawn to wood­work­ing, because wood itself is a natural mate­r­ial that truly never ceases to be alive. In a subtle way, it is always in motion. I always try to capture this dynamic quality.”