Oblique Studio believes design is rooted in the understanding of construction, and construction, in turn, progresses through the possibilities of design. We are a small design/build practice and are passionate about hand-crafted furniture and architecture. Our focus is primarily on custom work in wood, metal and concrete, and we work at scales ranging from the tabletop to the tree tops.
Our interests are continually evolving and expanding but are firmly rooted in a balance of skilled workmanship and thoughtful design.
WHO WE ARE
Mike Larsen began working in construction with his father over fifteen years ago, and is a licensed and insured contractor in the state of Rhode Island. He received a Master of Architecture from RISD and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Utah. Mike brings a dedicated craft of building and fabrication to the studio, allowing him to conceive of the process of making while sketching out ideas. Mike has taught Manual Representation in the Architecture Department at RISD and is a Visiting Critic at RISD as well as Roger Williams University.
Since 2001 George Terry has been immersed in the world of art and design as a studio artist, independent curator and educator. He has also worked extensively in the fields of historic preservation, interior design and fine art installation. His unique professional skills include managing team-based projects, fabrication and expertise in handling, cataloguing and installing fine and decorative artworks. George received a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, and attended the School of Painting and Sculpture. George joined the Oblique Studio team in 2018 as a manager of on-site projects, carpenter and fabricator. He and his family live in Edgewood, RI, where they are enjoying renovating their own home.
(Image of Andrew Soon!)
Andrew Oesch's creative practices include electronics, programming, printmaking, drawing, arts education, mushroom cultivation, and wood-working. He began to learn about trees and the forest with his grandfather at a young age, and continued his conceptual inquiries into ecology and woodcraft through his BFA training in Furniture Design at RISD and his MFA studies in the interdisciplinary Nomad 9 program at the University of Hartford. Currently his work explores how Trees, Mushrooms, and Humans live and die together in messy ecologies of interdependence, consumption, and decay. Andrew manages the Oblique Studio shop, co-designs and fabricates the furniture elements, whether they be custom pieces or part of the larger architectural construction effort. In addition to this, and his personal creative practice, he collaborates with his wife Elizabeth Potenza, works with community-based arts education projects and is a father and avid gardener.
Clayton Cottingham is an interdisciplinary designer/maker. He recently received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design where he majored in Furniture Design with a concentration in Nature, Culture and Sustainable Studies. At RISD, his thesis project was designing and building a 100sq/ft trailer home which is still in the process of being made. He is interested in recontextualizing craft traditions as alternatives to conventional practices. Other interests include environmental justice, urban planning, community engagement, food and agriculture. Clayton joined Oblique Studio in 2019 after his graduation from RISD.