Feathers Form and Function

Chris Maynard carves feathers into intricate art

Birds were always a part of Chris Maynard’s childhood. As a young person, he took refuge in the woods around his home where, his head nestled in moss, he watched the birds up in the tall trees. He began working with feathers at age 12

Today, Maynard carves feathers into intricate art in order to make their natural beauty more noticeable. His work highlights the patterns and colors of the feathers themselves, inviting the viewer to look and look again. For him, feathers represent flight, transformation, and a bridge between our present lives and our dreams.

He displays his work in shadow boxes, a signature art form he developed that enchants people in Asia and around the world.

Maynard works with feathers from turkeys, parrots, peacocks, and other birds and crafts them into scenes that are displayed in his world-renowned shadow boxes. A conservationist at heart, Maynard’s feathers are legally obtained. Many of the feathers are naturally shed which means that the birds they came from may still be alive today.

Since feathers are universal symbols of flight, transformation, achievement, and hope,
Maynard’s art speaks to many people who long for these qualities as well as people who revere birds.

Maynard’s work is included in private collections and featured in publications in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. His book, Feathers, Form & Function, highlights his work and tells stories about what feathers are, what roles they fill for birds, and why people find them alluring.