Meet Greg Sheres
-Greg Sheres
From founding his own design company in 1989 to becoming a pioneer of the American “Classic Modernism” movement in the ‘90s, Greg Sheres has built his reputation by pushing the boundaries of what furniture can be.
An Artist’s Journey
Greg Sheres studied physics and engineering at Columbia University in New York. Having begun to feel that the material was too dry, he transferred to liberal arts and shifted his focus toward painting and drawing. In hindsight, the twin pillars of art and engineering would become crucial to his ongoing life’s work.
Once Greg graduated from college, he dedicated himself to being a full-time artist. He worked with several top New York artists at the Art Students’ League of New York during the 1980s. An early art project—painting a menu on a restaurant table—unexpectedly garnered a lot of attention, which turned Greg’s eye toward the world of furniture design. Almost by chance, a career was born.
Creativity and Passion - Fueled by World Travel
When Greg Sheres got started, there was no such thing as “art furniture.” Soon, he was producing artistic tables made of stone, stainless steel and glass, and showing them at an increasingly wide range of American art galleries and trade shows. Much to his surprise, they were selling almost as quickly as he could make them. It didn’t take long before demand outgrew his small studio space.
So began a lifelong journey to continue refining and reinventing his designs while also looking for the right place to get them made. It wasn’t always easy. In the early years, he made everything himself to avoid the frustration of designing furniture for other companies that would ultimately cut corners.
After starting in America, Greg Sheres traveled to Italy and eventually to China in search of the right factories and professionals who could bring his designs to life. Along the Way, he learned more and more about furniture, and picked up additional inspiration for his designs from around the world.
Artist and Designer
“I won a handful of design awards, and suddenly I was known as a furniture designer. And I remember being really nervous that anyone would find out that I really wasn’t a furniture designer! I have no background in design, I never went to design school, and if they found out, then I would be a fraud. But it turned out that it didn’t really matter.”
Greg has since gotten to design complete hotels and restaurants, as well as furnishing entire hospitals and office spaces. Every project is its own unique challenge. But he also continues to return to what he considers the heart of his life’s work: creating furniture that no one has seen before.
Pushing the Boundaries
Much of Greg Sheres’ recent work has focused on the unique properties of stainless steel, which he calls “an impeccable material” that will last for centuries. With the ability to take on wildly different finishes and colors, stainless steel has been a favorite since some of Greg’s earliest creations. Contrasting the hardness of steel with curved lines inspired by nature has led to some truly arresting and energetic designs.
Greg continues to travel and gather new ideas while making his home here in South Carolina. As ever, his sketchbooks are filled with future creations. Some of his greatest challenges come from custom orders, which constantly push him in new directions.
Despite the demands of running a business, the creative side remains Greg’s favorite part of the process, even if he doesn’t always have as much time for it as he might like. Sitting down to sketch out new ideas brings an opportunity for fresh inspiration, and a chance to once again discover something that hasn’t yet been seen.