Dwight Bennett Biography

Dwight Bennett's talent for woodworking began early in childhood. His arrival into the world of art sprung from a series of unexpected paths. His journey has been one of a professional athlete, teacher, artist, and innovator.

As a fifth generation native of Arizona, Bennett attended Arizona State University on a Track and Football Scholarship. This "tough guy" endured teasing from his athletic buddies as he sprinted between the art department and the track field, finally receiving a degree in Art and Technology.

His standard dedication and athletic prowess resulted in opportunities to be an alternative javelin thrower for the United States Olympics and to play professional football for the Los Angeles Rams. After a serious automobile accident, Bennett's professional career took a detour. With this new turn, Bennett returned to his other love -- art.

In 1981, while turning his lathe, he discovered a bullet lodged deep within the wood. That bullet inspired him to inlay metal into wood, first using lead, and then silver. That moment of inspiration is commonly known as the "silver bullet story."

What resulted is Bennett's pioneering process of inlaying silver into hard wood. It is his exclusive trademark. He uses many native Arizona woods including olive, mesquite, walnut, holly and oak to create his sculptures, as well as other woods from around the world such as African coccabola or Australian eucalyptus. His favorite and most used wood is from the Ironwood tree found in the Sonoran Desert. This wood gets its name from its heavy iron-like density. This wood will actually sink when placed in water.

Bennett places the silver so naturally within the wood, it looks as though it grew there, making its way through natural cracks and fissures. Once completed, the piece is extensively polished and oiled, making the final product so smooth, it's hard to believe that it actually originated from a coarse tree growing in the Arizona desert.

For over two decades, Dwight Bennett has elevated the field of turned wood vessels and sculpture from craft to fine art. From his early work such as the heart-shaped sculpture he titled "Life" which toured the United States and Europe as part of a Phoenix Art Museum show, to his more recent pieces, Bennett's magnificent work continues to evolve. Infusing his art with grace and vitality, he thrills and inspires both his peers and collectors alike.

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