Wendell Castle

Wendell Castle (November 6, 1932 – January 20, 2018) was an American sculptor and furniture artist and a leading figure in American craft. He has been referred to as the "father of the art furniture movement" and included in the "Big 4" of modern woodworking with Wharton Esherick, George Nakashima, and Sam Maloof.

Castle introduced a woodworking technique called stack lamination to the creation of furniture. Originally used for making duck decoys, this technique allowed "infinite flexibility" and unprecedented control over shape and form. In addition to working in wood, he used plastics and metals.

Castle has garnered a number of awards, including a 1994 'Visionaries of the American Craft Movement' award sponsored by the American Craft Museum, a 1997 Gold Medal from the American Craft Council and a 2001 Award of Distinction from The Furniture Society.