My mentor said that the lathe is a very creative tool that most people don't use that way. They make bowls and spindles and that's it. So I thought I should really try to do something here.

Woodworker Mark Sfirri continually blurs the line separating woodturning from sculpture. Sfirri, who earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design in 1974, and his Master of Fine Arts from the same institution in 1978, was heavily influenced by his mentor Tage Frid, who encouraged the young Sfirri to use his primary tool, the lathe in new, creative ways. Sfirri uses the lathe to create conventional bowls and spindles which he then manipulates using multi-centered spindles, and a series of crosscuts; the resulting pieces combine concave and convex surfaces with curvilinear contours. Well known for his bold composition and meticulous attention to detail, Sfirri has collaborated on individual pieces with numerous other artists, including Michael Hosaluk and painter Robert Dodge.
Sfirri has taught at Bucks County Community College since 1981 as an Associate Professor of Fine Woodworking. He is a member of the Bucks Woodturners, the local chapter of the American Association of Woodturners, and has a studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Sfirri has published numerous articles in journals such as American Woodworker, and Fine Woodworking.