Fabian Fischer: “I’m living my dream.”
A few years ago, someone asked Fabian Fischer, “What would you do if you were to follow your dream?” He said, much to his own surprise, that he wanted to be a furniture maker. “That came from somewhere hidden,” he says, explaining that he’d only just begun working with wood at that time.
Today, Fischer, 31, is following that dream. Born in Germany, he moved to Wisconsin in 2013 with his wife, a Mazomanie native. He immediately opened a one-man workshop in Mazomanie where he builds furniture out of solid wood, using hand tools and traditional joinery techniques. The result are functional works of art with simple lines that highlight the natural beauty of the wood.
While he does have a small online shop and sells some wooden kitchen implements, Fischer primarily specializes in custom work, especially chairs and stools. His clients come from all over, and he has shipped his work as far away as New York and Seattle. Each piece of furniture is thoughtfully and organically made, based on consultations with each customer. In addition to ironing out the logistical details of the project, Fischer will recommend a wood that “harmonizes with the interior” of each client’s home.
His biggest influence is the wood itself. “I love working with the material wood. It’s very inspiring to look at a log and see the grain and see what I can make of it,” Fischer says. “A lot of times the form is dictated by the figure of the selected wood and the irregularities in the growth.”
He “composes” each piece of furniture as he experiences and learns about the wood, much of which comes from a nearby farmer. “There may be unexpected surprises, some good and others not so good...but this I only find out on the way.”
Fischer wants to showcase both the quality of the wood and each piece’s handmade character. He uses a homemade finish of organic tung oil, beeswax and linseed oil for a natural look.
In additional to his furniture-making, Fischer also offers woodworking classes, where students make pieces and are free to play with their own ideas. “We learn from each other,” Fischer says.
In a few short years, Fischer has established a strong reputation for quality, beautiful work and there is currently a short waitlist for custom work.
As for that dream a few years back of becoming a furniture maker — has it made him happy? “One hundred percent,” says Fischer. “I’m living my dream at the moment.”