William Hunter

William Hunter (b. 1947) is a self-taught woodturner native to Long Beach, CA.  Hunter is known for his distinctive and abstract wooden vessels that explored line, form, and space, creating spiral and geometric forms. Hunter attended California State University where he received a B.A. in Sociology and was introduced to woodturning by Oscar Windshaw and Harvey Holland. Early on in his career, Hunter was influenced by the movement “Back-to-the-land” but also implemented the philosophies of reinvention and self-reliance. Early in his career, he created functional vessel forms that he would sell at craft fairs before transitioning to non-functional forms. He has worked with amber, wood, ivory, walrus tusk, and plastics. 

Hunter has earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Collectors of Wood Art, and was honored with a thirty-five year retrospective and book from the Long Beach Museum of Art. His work can be found in the collections of the Woodturning Center Museum, PA, the Wale University Art Gallery, the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Museum, WA, and many more.