Tom Czarnopys was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and as a child he was influenced by the cycles of nature that he witnessed while hunting in the northern forests.  His fascination with nature led him to create the human figures emerging from trees that he is known for.  These statue/ sculptures were part of an anthropological quest to uncover the kinship between humankind and the environment.  The forms are a synthesis of cast polyester with genuine tree parts.  More recently, Czarnopys has abandoned his representational art and has been working with the minimalist aesthetic.

(American, 1957 – )