Michelle Hallee Wong
I have always been a person who creates things. As child I drew, painted, sewed, knitted and crocheted - all the crafts available to a girl at that time. After excelling in middle school shop class I knew that woodworking was in my future somehow. My journey in woodworking and furniture making began in earnest with renovating older homes in the Boston area. I found carpentry so expensive and often poorly done that I started doing it myself. I worked on rough carpentry, then finish carpentry, and finally cabinets and complex built-ins. This work caused me to acquire tools, machines, skills and a profound love of woodworking. After completing the last possible elaborate built in my current house the logical progression was to start building freestanding furniture. Although I consider myself primarily self taught, I attended the North Bennett Street School Cabinet and Furniture Making program for a year where I built my first piece of freestanding furniture in 2021. I have been producing furniture independently since that time in my shop in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Artist Statement
Although I admire many furniture styles, currently I am inspired by the enduring beauty of furniture from the American Federal period. I aspire to make heirloom pieces of furniture that will be cherished for generations because of their design, materials and the quality of their construction. I strive to create refined elegant forms with complimenting decoration. Detailed inlay, banding and veneers are integral to my furniture whether they be traditional fans or asymmetrically placed circles. As my design voice matures I hope to make furniture with classical roots and a modern sensibility. My creativity frequently springs from a beautiful piece of veneer or the rippling grain of a piece of wood. The meticulous technical problem solving, research and project planning coupled with careful choosing of wood, veneer and inlay for a piece is a process full of joy and excitement. Seeing the piece emerge from my thoughts, to paper, to wood and joinery, and finally to existence is deeply rewarding and fulfilling.
Michelle Hallee Wong's Work
Michelle Hallee Wong
I have always been a person who creates things. As child I drew, painted, sewed, knitted and crocheted - all the crafts available to a girl at that time. After excelling in middle school shop class I knew that woodworking was in my future somehow. My journey in woodworking and furniture making began in earnest with renovating older homes in the Boston area. I found carpentry so expensive and often poorly done that I started doing it myself. I worked on rough carpentry, then finish carpentry, and finally cabinets and complex built-ins. This work caused me to acquire tools, machines, skills and a profound love of woodworking. After completing the last possible elaborate built in my current house the logical progression was to start building freestanding furniture. Although I consider myself primarily self taught, I attended the North Bennett Street School Cabinet and Furniture Making program for a year where I built my first piece of freestanding furniture in 2021. I have been producing furniture independently since that time in my shop in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Artist Statement
Although I admire many furniture styles, currently I am inspired by the enduring beauty of furniture from the American Federal period. I aspire to make heirloom pieces of furniture that will be cherished for generations because of their design, materials and the quality of their construction. I strive to create refined elegant forms with complimenting decoration. Detailed inlay, banding and veneers are integral to my furniture whether they be traditional fans or asymmetrically placed circles. As my design voice matures I hope to make furniture with classical roots and a modern sensibility. My creativity frequently springs from a beautiful piece of veneer or the rippling grain of a piece of wood. The meticulous technical problem solving, research and project planning coupled with careful choosing of wood, veneer and inlay for a piece is a process full of joy and excitement. Seeing the piece emerge from my thoughts, to paper, to wood and joinery, and finally to existence is deeply rewarding and fulfilling.
