ARTIST STATEMENT
Through free-form wood bending techniques, I create expressive sculptures, furniture, and installations that explore the beautiful chaos of the natural world. I am captivated by the fluid patterns, lines, and dynamic, unpredictable movements that surround us. These elements engage my senses and evoke a profound mindfulness, drawing me into a space where the boundaries between self and nature begin to dissolve.
The meditative process of bending wood invites a similar surrender to the unfolding, the unknown, and the spontaneous beauty that emerges when we are fully present. I work intuitively, collaborating with the wood and allowing it to take on a life of its own. Each curve, bend, and twist is an intuitive gesture based on trust and responsiveness. The material reveals itself to me in each moment and informs the outcome of each piece. The expressions that emerge abstractly reflect the parallels between natural forms/ rhythms and the human body.
This approach to making is deeply connected to my personal journey of healing and awareness. I find meaning in the constant movement of life, the cyclical nature of growth, and the interconnectedness of all living things. My work, like the forms I observe in nature, breathe and shift with every twist and bend, inviting the viewer to pause, reflect, and embrace the harmony within chaos. In this experience, I hope to foster mindfulness and reconnect viewers to the world around us, sparking a deeper understanding of our place within it.
BIOGRAPHY
Brianna Cappelli is a wood artist and sculptor from Richmond, Virginia. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Craft & Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2023. Cappelli creates expressive sculpture, furniture, and installations that challenge boundaries between materiality, form, and function. Her practice explores the visual and structural parallels between the human body and the natural world, revealing their shared rhythms and interconnectedness.
Following an internship with furniture maker and artist Marc Fish, in England, Cappelli is now based in Virginia to pursue a professional career in fine art. In 2022, her work was awarded as ‘Best in Lighting’ at the Innovation & Design Competition held by the International Society of Furniture Designers in High Point, NC. She has also exhibited work at the Anderson Gallery in Richmond, VA for the Juried Exhibition 2021-2023, Craft Consciousness, […], Ethical Metalsmith’s So Fresh and So Clean 2023, as well as Windows to the Inside: Expression of Mental Health for Woman Made Gallery. Cappelli has been featured by the Furniture Society, Women of Woodworking, and in Inc Magazine’s “Metamorphosis” (2022). Her recent sculpture Abloom appears in Peters Valley School of Craft’s Exhibition in Print: Wicked Wood (2025).
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CONTACT & INQUIRIES
For commissions, pricing, and general inquiries, please contact Brianna through email at briannacappelliart@gmail.com