About Abraham Tesser

Designing and building furniture is very personal. I struggle with every detail of a design.  Then, at the workbench, I find it hard to beat the feeling produced by guiding the transformation of a piece of rough lumber into an elegant, smooth part.  With luck, the piece will be one that captures the eye and invites the hand to touch.

I am constantly redesigning as I am building.  The finished piece is unlikely to be what I originally envisioned but a more or less different piece.  And when things go well, when a hand plane produces the perfect shaving, when a beautiful shape emerges on the lathe, when a piece of wood that has just been surfaced shows a figure or character that is better than expected, it is indeed thrilling.

Interacting with a patron with particular needs and preferences often results in designs that otherwise might never have come to mind.  When that works it is a joy.  Almost nothing pleases me more than learning that others appreciate my work.  Each piece is, for a time, my baby and it is difficult for me to let it go.  But it is gratifying to know that someone likes it enough to have it in their home or office.

I have written about woodworking and my work has been featured in various media outlets.  

Legendary Icons Visit Jewish Woodworkers Goup.  Robin Spizman Gerson. Atlanta Jewish Times, May 14, 2025.

Studio Furniture: A Five-Piece Adventure. In Dale L. Couch (Ed), Georgia in Our Time: Modern Design and Contemporary Lens. Georgia Museum of Art, 2024. Pp 119-139.

Helix Table. Fine Woodworking. Dec., 2023, # 306. P. 70.

The Helix Table: A piece with multiple personalities - FineWoodworking .   A Fine Woodworking magazine blog. Oct. 5, 2023.

Kumiko Music Stand. Fine Woodworking, February 2023, No. 301. P. 69.

Remembering a Tree.  Abraham Tesser. Fine Woodworking Blog.  January 21, 2022. 

Angela’s Table.  Gallery.  Fine Woodworking, January/February, 2021. P. 71.

Chairman of the Board.  Chapter in J. Bernstein.  Late Boomers: Inspiring Stories about People Who’ve Done Life Changing Things Later in Life.  2020.  Pp 66-71.

A Stylish Stool: Quick Turn Adds Pizzazz. Abraham Tesser. American Woodturner,   

October, 2019.  Vol 34, no. 5, 26-30.

 Wood Works: A Regional Exhibition, Abraham Tesser, American Woodturner, August, 2017, Pp. 22-24.

Every once in a while something wonderful happens:  One's work is singled out for special  recognition.  It is always a surprise and always a thrill.

Juror’s Award, First Place 3D for “Ballet Table”.

Southworks Juried National Exhibition, 2024. Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF), Watkinsville GA. 

September 27-November 1, 2024.

Ridley M, Glover Excellence in Wood Artistry Award for Visible Works.

49th Juried Exhibition

Lyndon House Arts Center, Athens, GA

March 12-May 4, 2024

Featured Member ,  Furniture Society,  August 16, 2021-August 22, 2021.

Best of Show Award for “Homage for Chagall”. Southworks Juried National Exhibition, 2021. Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF),Watkinsville GA. April16th-May28th, 2021.

Juror’s Choice Award for “S-Chair”

The Chair Show: A Juried Art Exhibition.

Madison-Morgan Cultural Center

Madison GA

February 7- June 2, 2020.

People’s Choice Award for “Helix Table”.

20th Master Woodworkers Show. Juried show sponsored by the East Tennessee Woodworkers Guild and The Arts and Culture Alliance, Knoxville TN Nov. 1-3, 2019. 

Nancy Lukasiewicz Award for Excellence in Fine Craft  for "Ladies Night Out" by Abraham Tesser and Olena Nebuchadnezzar

44th Juried Exhibition

Lyndon House Art Center, Athens, GA

March 7- May 3, 2019.

People’s Choice Award for “Visible Works” an animated cabinet.  19th Master Woodworkers Show. Juried show sponsored by The East Tennessee Woodworkers Guild and The Arts and Culture Alliance, Knoxville TN Nov. 3-5, 2017.