Joshua Johansen

Joshua Johansen
American (b. 1981)

Born in Ka'u on the Island of Hawai'i, Joshua Johansen was introduced to the world of wood from a very early age. His Grandpa ran a koa sawmill, and Johansen recalls going up the mountain and helping his Grandpa "for as long as he can remember."

At the age of eight, Johansen began whittling small animals out of cattle bones that his Grandmother used to boil for him. He soon progressed to wood, using the small discarded pieces of koa from the sawmill.

While attending college, Johansen worked part-time as a cabinet maker. Here he began to explore working with wood on a larger scale. With the help and advice of his friend, mentor, and manager of the cabinet shop, Johansen started to produce some exceptional pieces of furniture by drawing inspiration from iconic woodworkers such as Sam Maloof and Henry Weeks.

In 2007, Johansen taught himself how to turn wood and was soon producing traditional Hawaiian pieces. In 2009, he took over the family sawmill business and started to experiment with his turning - seeing how far he could push both the material and his technical ability and taking inspiration from shapes and forms more traditionally associated with pottery.

Johansen specializes in working with exceptionally-figured, heirloom-quality wood that has been sustainably harvested from dead or dying trees.

Less than five percent of all koa harvested is highly-figured, and each form can take between six to eight months to produce. The result is a truly unique and exceptional collector’s item.