H82“xW24“xD24“

Walnut. orange, linseed oil on metal base

USA, 2024

Jonathan Shlafer is an Amagansett-based sculptor whose work is inspired by the East End. He works with salvaged wood, bronze, stone and concrete, carving and refining the natural shapes to create his objects, which include totems, sculptural forms, and furniture.

His objects are finished with oils, bleaching, or the traditional Japanese shou sugi ban technique, in which the fire chars the outside of the object revealing the inherent textual beauty of the wood.

Shlafer was born in New Jersey in 1967. He studied at the School of Visual Arts in the 1980s, witnessing the peak of the NYC graffiti street art movement, after which he traveled extensively in Africa and East Asia where he developed a love for primitive techniques and tribal forms. He went on to work in advertising before his turn to sculpture and other art forms. He lives and works in Amagansett, N.Y. with his family.