Meet the Maker: Zen Woodworking

Mike Kamback, owner of Zen Woodworking, has worked in carpentry for over a decade and began selling his work locally in 2013. As a woodworker, his goal is to create engaging and eye-catching works of art while being mindful of the impact his craft has on the environment. He does this by salvaging as many materials from scrap as possible, whether it’s waste from construction sites, reject stock at cabinet shops, or off cuts at lumber distributers. Anything that was destined for a dumpster or a chipper is fair game to be repurposed into a polished piece of fine woodworking.

Mike finds joy in working with different species of wood, using their contrasting colors and grains to create a single, vibrant work of art. Whether it’s a cutting board of a custom piece of furniture, he strives to make all of his creations as individual as the trees that allowed them to exist. At the end of the day, his goal is to make art that he would be proud to have in his own home. Mike studied woodworking at Haywood Community College and lives in Leicester, NC with his fiancee Carolyn and their dog Rooster.

Visit his website at zenwoodworkingasheville.com