"Keats Coastal driftwood Round" Sculpture

Benjamin McLaughlin is a practicing artist and furniture designer in British Columbia. His current collection of art and furniture designs draw on his industrial design background, combining the natural beauty of locally grown hardwoods with an organic polymer, striving to create pieces with a timeless beauty. Each piece of wood is carefully hand selected to maximize grain character and figuring. Frequent alpine adventures in the lush, coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest and Cascade mountain range continue to provide an abundance of energy and inspiration for his wood based design work. He considers himself a lifelong learner, delving deeply into the creative process while cultivating a constant state of fluidity within his work and life. ​​For the last decade, McLaughlin has been exploring the tonal properties of dozens of wood species while developing innovative ways to integrate them into musical furniture. The ‘Ubuntu: Sound Resonating Furniture’ project strives to enrich communal spaces with the inherent curiosity of his designs, natural beauty of the hardwoods and therapeutic tonal qualities. ​ He studied at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design for several years before emigrating to Canada, where he received his Bachelor of Industrial Design from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. This geographic and cultural transition greatly informed his perspective and approach to the creative process. ​McLaughlin’s drums and furniture have been exhibited in International Galleries, included in artist talks, and written about in several publications.