Alexander Bannan is a Richmond, Virginia based furniture maker. He is originally from Roanoke, Virginia, a small city at the far reaches of the Shenandoah Valley in the Appalachian Mountains. Growing up in this historic and diverse community of artists, musicians, and craftsmen influenced his artistic endeavors in his young adulthood. In 2016 he received a Bachelor’s of Fine Art in Craft/Material Studies with a focus on woodworking and furniture design from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, Richmond, Virginia. While at VCU he discovered his infatuation for wood and the traditions that surround furniture building.

Bannan is drawn to furniture because it is a recognizable and universally engaging medium. Its functionality in the home makes a piece of furniture both a utilitarian and lovingly curated piece. In this vein, his work is at once a functional object as well as a reverence to the connection between the history and geology of the mountains to the present. Bannan employs a range of traditional joinery methods and classic approaches to woodworking. This, coupled with state of the art techniques, create unique—yet timeless—pieces that promote contemplation for our history with a blending of contemporary design.

Currently Bannan works out of his home studio in Richmond, Va. He makes and sells furniture, artwork, and wooden home wares on commission and from original designs. He is a vendor at many maker’s markets around the Richmond area. Bannan will have several pieces in a group craft show at Quirk Gallery, downtown Richmond, from June 25 through August 8, 2026