About Shelby
Shelby Davis is an artist and designer living in Portland, Oregon with his wife and new son. He grew up in Six Mile, South Carolina in the Blue Ridge foothills–a place whose natural beauty inspires him to this day. His parents were both artists who made pots, sculpture, and quilts, and they filled their house in the woods with beautiful things they had traded for with their friends. Shelby grew up traveling to craft shows around the country, surrounded by artists who cared deeply about their craft and well made objects. While he tried to find a different path by studying geology in college, it was almost inevitable that he would be drawn back into a life of making things.
He collaborates often on public art with his wife, Crystal Schenk, and with his arts group, Paintallica. He teaches Industrial Design and Sculpture at the Art Institute of Portland. He is on the Board of Directors for The Rensing Center, a non-profit artist residency center located on the property he was raised on in South Carolina. He does a lot of Kung Fu and is an instructor/student at the Portland Shaolin Center.
ABOUT SDS
SDS is a Portland, Oregon based design studio run by Shelby Davis. We focus on inventing unique hand-formed furniture, tools, bags, and heirloom objects. Our designs are a balance between beauty and utility, and are crafted using anything from timeless traditional tools and elbow grease to 3D modeling, CNC cutting, and laser forming. We use meaningful materials bravely. We use sustainable products, and locally harvested woods that are all chosen for their functional, aesthetic and even nostalgic qualities. You can order directly off this site, commission something specific, or simply begin a conversation about a special piece you’ve had on your mind