Brad Sells first learned to throw clay at the Appalachian Center for Crafts, a satellite campus of Tennessee Technological University, where he earned his B.S. in psychology. His artistic path shifted when he carved a bed frame from cherry wood for his home—an experience that revealed his true medium. Sells’ career gained momentum when his work was awarded Best in Show in a competition juried by renowned furniture maker Sam Maloof, whom Sells counts as a role model. His pursuit of new materials and inspiration led him to South Africa in 2007 and Hawaii in 2009, where he explored exotic woods and regional traditions. Guided by the grain and texture of the wood itself, Sells shapes fluid, sculptural forms that celebrate the natural knots, lines, and contours of each piece.