Joël Urruty was born in San Francisco, CA in 1968. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial technology from San Francisco State University. He apprenticed as a furniture maker under David J. Marks, Master Craftsman, and later went on to earn a Masters of Fine Art in Woodworking and Furniture Design from the School of American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Today Joël resides in western North Carolina where he creates abstract figurative sculptures in both wood and bronze. His work has been exhibited internationally in fine art galleries and museums. He has also been widely published in art magazines and books. Private collections include: Saks Fifth Avenue; Tiffany’s; Setai Hotel, NYC; Ritz Carlton, VA and The Forum Building, GA.

Museum collections include: Museum of Fine Art, Boston, MA; Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, NC; and Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu HI.