Check out Kyle D’Auria

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle D’Auria.

Kyle, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I grew up with a lot to express and found art a great outlet. When it came time to consider college, I pursed the 3-D visual art program at the U of A. It was the major that encompassed all media. There was of course sculpture, but we were also able to explore video, performance, and 2-D media like painting, drawing, and photo. When I graduated with a BFA in Fine Art, I had a well rounded conceptual art education. I learned how to be a thinker, as much as I’d learned how to make art.

Afterward, I moved to Portland, Oregon with my (now) wife, got a studio, and tried to do visual art. I found myself, however, inspired more by the entrepreneurial spirit I saw in Portland. Everywhere around me were crafts and handmade goods, and it seemed everyone had a small business. And when I chose to pursue that path too, it seemed everything conspired towards me heading in that direction. I joined a local shared community shop, picked up knowledge from other woodworkers there, built my first projects with rejected wood from a local mill, and found stores and likeminded individuals to sell too. The Portland culture was supportive and inspiring, and I began a business called Deoria Made, specializing mostly in small hard goods like butcher blocks.

Later my wife and I moved back to Tucson, where we’d met, and that opened up doors for a lot of growth. Here I found a love for furniture making, and traditional joinery techniques. I’ve spent the past couple of years working with clients to make custom pieces of furniture and developing my own style. Woodworking is a lifetime endeavor, but I’m getting there day by day!

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I’m an artist, focused on making fine furniture. I’m inspired by things whose style seems to transcend time and will be fashionable no matter what the age. Crafted objects and art that are able to do so tend to be things that are durable, but also unique. Things like this make heirlooms, things that are passed from generation to generation. I’m particularly inspired by that idea as I work, and a major part of my process is considering the longevity of what I make, and not only how it will serve the client I’m making it for, but whomever they’ll pass it down to as well.

Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
I think of what I do as kind-of counterculture. Making things, or owning things that are meant to last a lifetime is no longer the status quo. Fine art and fine craft are things that are cherished by the people who own them. They are things that people build relationships too, with a uniquely symbiotic relationship. These objects care for you, just as you care for them. In an increasingly throw-away-culture, these stoic items hold great value.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work can be seen on my website, www.kyledauria.com. There I post finished pieces. You can also take a more in-depth work at my work by following my artistic process on Instagram. My handle is @kyledauria. If you’d like an even more insider view into what I do and want to find out about my latest work, you can sign up for my newsletter on my website. I’m also always happy to meet interested people. Reach out and send an email to me at hello@kyledauria.com if you care to!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kyledauria.com
• Email: hello@kyledauria.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kyledauria/?hl=en

Image Credit:
Kyle D’Auria

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