John Mowen

John Mowen was born in Eugene, Oregon, September 5, 1953. He moved to Ohio at the age of 19 where, bypassing the standard educational system, he began his career as a leather designer.

John’s interests expanded into custom footwear and garments, and in 1976, he moved his studio to Claremont, California. There he studied pattern drafting and garment design, and finally, established “Bare Skin Bags.”, a handbag company which he sold in 1997.

In 1994, John showed his sculptural work for the first time at the Bellevue Museum Art Fair, including a series of bronze reproductions of archetypal images.

In 2000, he traveled to India to learn granite carving from Indian stone carvers.

Presently, John is recreating his stone work in cast bronze, adding endless possibilities around size, color and texture. He continues to show his work at art fairs and galleries. He shares his studio with his 22 year old son, Sky.

Directing themes of John’s work are his own personal explorations into simplicity, his love of mystical poetry and the relationship between the creative and the sacred.