Steve Thomson, who is known as Happy Life Wood (HLW) is an American wood carver who creates hyper-realistic sculptures of popular consumerist items such as Nike Air Jordans and BMWs. When creating his pieces, HLW does not use any additional paints or artificial wood stains, but instead creates different colours and hues by using different types of wood and different parts of a sustainably sourced tree. Hence, his pieces create a direct connection between trees and popular consumerist products, asking his viewers to think about how their spending habits are affecting the environment, especially when they are purchasing items from big-name brands. This is why the work that he does is relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Responsible Consumption and Production.
Before working as a full-time artist, HLW spent over 25 years working in corporate marketing and graphic design. He first began woodworking as a hobby, repurposing wood scraps in his Rochester, New York studio to create different wooden “paintings.” After six months of experimentation, HLW managed to create his first human portrait, one of Kobe Bryant, that went viral on social media during the pandemic. The piece was eventually sold to Bryant’s former teammate and international basketball legend Pau Gasol, and gained HLW over 150 million views on social media. Today, he has over 300,000 followers on Instagram and continues to create groundbreaking, realistic pieces with nothing but meticulously crafted wood pieces.
Thomson first began crafting wooden sneaker pieces as a birthday gift for his son Stevie who is also an avid sneaker fan and collector. Today Stevie helps his father manage Happy Life Wood’s social media presence, helping to share his craft to even more people and even raking in big-name clients such as the CEO of the sneakers news & online shop platform Nice Kicks. For this particular commission, HLW created a massive piece that depicted multiple legendary sneaker types, which took 315 hours to make and featured a total of 511 individually cut pieces of all-natural wood from nine different species. This piece became their introduction to the sneaker community, giving them access to even more commissions and projects.
Thomson’s pieces have now been collected by the likes of Michael Jordan, A$AP Rocky, Kevin Durant, Jordan Poole and more. He has also collaborated with Jordan Brand, BMW, the Chicago Bulls, the Golden State Warriors and more. His piece Emergence which shows the iconic Nike Air Jordans under draped cloths, was even auctioned off at Sotheby’s and fetched a total of USD 12,700.
In a culture obsessed with brand-new luxury, Happy Life Wood carves out a space for profound contradiction and reflection. By meticulously shaping sustainably sourced wood into hyper-realistic icons of consumerism, Steve Thomson doesn’t just showcase breathtaking skill; he holds a mirror to our consumption habits. Each grain, each carefully chosen wood tone, tells a silent story of origin: a tree transformed into a status symbol, nature reborn as commodity. Yet in Thomson’s hands, this transformation becomes a quiet protest. His art, celebrated by athletes and magnates alike, challenges us to admire the craftsmanship without ignoring the cost—reminding us that every purchase carries the weight of a forest, and that true value lies not in ownership, but in reverence for the resources that make it possible.
Find out more about Happy Life Wood (HLW) and their initiatives by checking their website www.happylifewood.com, YouTube channel HappyLifeWood or Instagram @happylifewood.