Martin Puryear works primarily in wood, which is often painted or combined with man-made material such as wire or steel to create organic and semi-abstract sculptures. Using simple and reductive forms, he creates works with a strong and direct physical presence, placing emphasis on process and material, at the same time as alluding to recognizable objects.

His sculptural forms often embody contradictions: appearing simultaneously solid and hollow, monumental and lightweight, representative and abstract.

An extensive knowledge of nature, wildlife, history and geography as well as an interest in Native American, African, Scandinavian, Japanese and Arctic crafts and cultures have all influences and informed Puryear’s visual language.

Puryear’s work is especially recognized for its meticulous craftsmanship, in an era when such traditional skills are less commonly practiced by contemporary artists.