Creative Mind: Chris Wolston
The New York and Colombia-based creative’s exploratory command of craft has established him as one of the most sought-after figures in contemporary collectible design
By coaxing humble materials into fabulously fun furnishings, Chris Wolston recasts everyday objects as conduits of cheeky expression. Handwoven wicker chairs strike anthropomorphic poses, their wavy limbs frozen mid-gesture. A bronze credenza sprouts daisies with lustrous rainbow patinas evocative of Antoni Gaudí mosaics. “I often embed humor into my work,” he says. “It serves as an entry point without pretense.”
The innate humor of Wolston’s oeuvre belies a rigorous, craft-forward approach he initially honed at the Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating, he journeyed to Medellín, Colombia, on a Fulbright fellowship to specialize in pre-Columbian ceramics and soon established an eight-person studio in the city, where he continues to collaborate closely with family-run workshops to produce furniture using centuries-old artisanal techniques.
On view: Wolston’s exploratory command of craft has established him as
one of the most sought-after figures in contemporary collectible design.
A recent museum exhibition of works in aluminum, ceramic, bronze,
textiles, and wicker, at Dallas Contemporary, highlighted the past decade
of his ever-expanding practice.
Up next: After visiting the Beni Rugs atelier in Marrakech and creating a
line of wool tapestries of calla lilies, he hopes to further investigate
textiles. “You don’t need state-of-the-art resources to make beautiful
things,” he advises. “When you change your perspective on making,
anything is possible.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2026 Spring Issue in the section “Creative Minds.” Subscribe to the magazine.