Our Story

Growing up in Slovakia before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Tomas never imagined he’d get the chance to be a working artist, let alone an artist making a name for himself in America. But life has a funny way of working out.

In the early 1990’s, Tomas earned a spot in an art school apprenticeship program, where he spent the next four years training in classical woodcarving. He went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Sculpture Restoration from VSVU Bratislava, one of Europe’s premier fine arts institutions.

After college, Tomas spent a number of years as a fine art restorer in Vienna, preserving some of the world’s finest works of art. But despite his success, he dreamed of creating his own sculptures.That’s where fate stepped in.

While on vacation in Berlin, Tomas met Allison, who was visiting from the Seattle area, where she was born and raised. In 2006, Tomas and Allison married and returned to the Pacific Northwest, where they opened Tomas Vrba Studio.

Today, we are still a family business with Tomas in the studio, Allison keeping things together behind the scenes and the kids jumping in piles of sawdust whenever they get the chance. Our unique style combines Tomas’ classical European training with the sculpture traditions of the Pacific Northwest. We pair old-world techniques with modern power tools, such as the chainsaw, to create sculptures that are at once rustic and polished.