James Kennell

I am an anthro­pol­o­gist and designer/​maker of custom furni­ture. As an anthro­pol­o­gist and wood­worker, I strive to let the ideas and expe­ri­ence of the client guide the design and process of creat­ing a piece of art or furni­ture. Design­ing a piece and working the mate­ri­als into final form both play their parts in the lived expe­ri­ence of the maker and the client. I like to conduct an ethnog­ra­phy, of sorts, of a poten­tial space for my work to reside- the aesthetic and expe­ri­ence of the client, the lived-in space, how a piece will be inter­acted with, observed and connected with- all these guide design. Over the past 20 years I have worked as an anthro­pol­o­gist doing public health research and devel­op­ment in West Africa and continue with that work today (www​.couffo​.org). My studio is in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Shauna and I live with our two dogs, Kroeber and Lola.