About the Atelier
American sculptor Charles D. (“Chuck”) Splady founded the eponymous Splady Art Studios in 1971 as a sanctuary where he could apply fine metalworking traditions to art, design, and architecture.
The atelier has been a vital behind-the-scenes contributor to career-making artworks of elite sculptors of the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, including Peter Voulkos, Manuel Neri, Harold Paris, Dick Hamler, Claes Oldenburg, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Isamu Noguchi, Henry Moore, Paul Harris, Beniamino (“Benny”) Bufano, Rita Paris, Brian Wall, and Robert Hudson.
Visiting the atelier is a treat: Splady engages in conversations with a scholar's gentle articulation and subtle humor. And stepping into the space is like visiting a 21st century alchemist’s laboratory: It is a large, open airy space, walls neatly filled with working tools old and new, plus artworks in various stages of completion by known and emerging fine artists.
The atelier offers consultation, fabrication and casting of new works, shipping, installing, and repairing pieces, plus demonstrations, lectures, classes and workshops. Consultation about a proposed project often leads to thoughtful questions and suggestions for simplifying processes — and reducing time and cost.
Moreover, the atelier offers wisdom, encouragement, and engaging stories: A question about a tool or technique opens the door to an education about its historical development up to and including current best practices. To visit is to become engaged, to learn, to create, and to become woven into the rich, ongoing history of San Francisco Bay Area arts
Charles Splady
Charles Splady, born in 1949, is an American sculptor deeply connected to fine metalworking traditions. A graduate of the California College of the Arts and Crafts, Splady’s sculptures draw inspiration from metal's cyclical transformations — physical, metaphorical, and historical. In the mid-1980s Splady was one of six San Francisco Bay Area sculptors seeking to counter the isolation common to art-making: Chuck Splady, Gale Wagner, John Fick, Greg Wescott, Don Rich, and Luigi Testa met regularly to talk about their work, to support each other, and to collaboratively encourage their careers. Attendance at those informal meetings grew and evolved into the Pacific Rim Sculptors Group, which in 2016 achieved non-profit status and became Pacific Rim Sculptors, a Chapter of the International Sculpture Center, publisher of Sculpture Magazine.
Splady has often given bronze casting and steel welding demonstrations and workshops at the atelier. Some of these have been for International Sculpture Center conferences, and others for San Francisco Bay Area colleges, including California College of the Arts and San Francisco City College.
In 2014 while fabricating bases for Oakland sculptor Stephanie Robison, Splady met Alexander Yoshikawa, then working as Robison’s intern. They quickly recognized their shared values of excellent craftsmanship, creativity, meticulous attention to detail, impeccable work ethics, the roles of serving as instructors and mentors, as well as deep appreciation of art history — especially of San Francisco Bay Area artists.
Soon after, Yoshikawa began working for Splady. Short years later, Splady made Yoshikawa a partner and co-owner of the atelier. They now work together as principals, sharing belief that the atelier is more than a physical space: it is a testament to the values of art, artists, and their dedication to creativity.
Alexander Yoshikawa
Alexander Yoshikawa's artistic journey began as a child accompanying his photographer father, who was documenting San Francisco murals. From him, Alex learned the importance of waiting patiently for the right light and right moment for creating a photograph.
At age 11 he enrolled in Sharon Art Studios in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, where he learned about stained glass, glass fusing, and ceramics. He became a youth worker in the program, learning more about glass, and about teaching. After further studies teaching at UC Davis Craft Center, he returned to the Bay Area and enrolled in a San Francisco City College multimedia sculpture class taught by Stephanie Robison. The experience inspired him to work as an intern for Robison, finishing surfaces of her marble sculptures. In that role in 2014 he met Splady, who was fabricating metal bases for Robison’s sculptures. Yoshikawa began working with and learning from Splady in 2016.
With the onset of the COVID pandemic, Splady and Yoshikawa took advantage of the downturn and isolation by reorganizing the atelier, and by setting up and equipping a new foundry, which had its inaugural bronze pour in 2020. Along the way, Yoshikawa found himself drawn to the ancient art of sculpting in wax for bronze casting, and now enjoys exposing artists to these techniques and skills.
In Splady’s words, “Alex quickly picked up on everything, and does some things better than I do; he has good eyes and good hands.”
Tori Yoshikawa
Tori Yoshikawa brings to Splady Art Studios her combined passions for art, design, and business — sparked by designing pieces for her family’s jewelry business since age 10 and enhanced by years of managing small art and design business ventures. Her combined artistic and business skills serve Splady Art Studios in its mission to create works that span the needs of art, architecture, and high-end interiors.