TJ Volonis

TJ Volonis’ work, at its core, is about revealing the unseen and reimagining it in new ways. It also incorporates a wide variety of themes including: human biological processes, the natural world and man’s relationship to it, hidden systems, technology and contemporary culture, and the implicit balance between order and chaos, among others. He views his work as a collaboration between the material with its limitations and his own intentions.

One of Volonis' earliest pieces (Chair, #2) earned him the award for Best Emerging Artist – Mixed Media at the 2005 GLAAD OUTAuction. That same chair also appeared in the May 2012 edition of Elle Décor Magazine. He continued his work with copper by making tables, chairs, and other functional works of art. In 2008, his work expanded into a series of wall-mounted sculptures. Further experimentation and serendipity fueled his interest and skill in learning and executing the ancient Japanese technique of kintsug,i which he has incorporated into his artistic practice.
 
Volonis received a BA in Japanese Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His work has appeared in: Architectural Digest, The New York Observer, LUXE Interiors + Design, Wallpaper* Magazine, Elle Décor, Lonny Magazine, American Craft, Freshome, Core 77, Design Milk, Artsicle, Black Lines of Design, Gotham Gazette, Examiner.com, and the Brooklyn Paper. He has exhibited at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) in New York City and at BKLYN DESIGNS. His most recent large exhibition was in 2016 at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art—a Smithsonian-affiliated museum.