Jared Hadfield

Artist Statement

Artist Statement
My work is rooted in a lifelong fascination with structure, materials, and the built environment. Whether I’m carving wood, casting concrete or assembling salvaged elements, I approach sculpture as both an act of construction and discovery. My background in architecture, fabrication, and home restoration deeply informs my process—each piece is a dialogue between raw material and refined form.
I’m drawn to the tension between permanence and decay, strength and subtlety. Many of my works explore the interplay between balance and weight, geometry and gesture. I see sculpture not only as an object but as a space—something that invites the viewer to pause, consider, question equilibrium, yet feel grounded.
Forest Street Studio, which I designed and built by hand, is both a physical and creative foundation for my practice. From this space, I have begun to return full time to art making and fabrication with a renewed focus and clarity—creating work that is intentional, honest, and deeply tied to process.
My practice as a sculptor is rooted in a deep respect for wood—its organic character, its history, and the way it responds to touch, time, and intention. I work with wood not only for its physical versatility but for the stories it holds. Every grain pattern, knot, or imperfection becomes part of the visual language I use to explore structure, memory, and transformation.
Wood is both forgiving and demanding. It requires patience, precision, and a willingness to adapt. Through fabrication—cutting, shaping, joining, and refining—I translate architectural ideas into sculptural forms that balance utility and abstraction. There’s a meditative quality to working with this material: the slow build of form, the negotiation between the hand and the grain, the moment when something raw becomes resolved.
I am drawn to the tension between the natural and the constructed—the contrast of crisp lines against irregular surfaces, of refined finishes layered over salvaged materials. In each piece, I aim to create a dialogue between permanence and impermanence, instability and balance, and control and spontaneity. My work is grounded in process, but ultimately, it’s about presence—inviting viewers to slow down, notice the details, and experience the tactile beauty of form and material.