Aaron Iaquinto has been shaping wood most of his life, ever since he wandered the forest near his home in central New York as a kid looking for dead trees to sink his hatchet into. This curiosity evolved into a passion during Aaron’s years at East Carolina University, where he obtained a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts concentrating in wood design. While in school, Aaron dove into the religions and cultures of Asia, spending many months helping guide American students around sacred places in India; he studied traditional Tibetan woodcarving in the exile community in northern India. After graduation, Aaron made his way across North Carolina and landed in the mountains, making furniture and honing his approach to woodcarving. In the Asheville River Arts District, Aaron works from his home studio as well as the Foundation Woodworks cooperative shop. 

“Spoon carving entered my life in a natural way. The act of carving became more important than the final object, and as a contemplative person I found that the attention required during the whole process provided an ideal setting to meditate. For me, carving is about losing active consciousness and letting the intuition take over. As I carve I am constantly feeling for tactile feedback. Intuition is about listening and in that way my spoons are a conversation. The object then becomes sacred through this empathic relationship with the material. All of my spoons are unique just as no two trees grow exactly the same.”