Houston-born artist and author of Wood Mosaic Projects, Troy Murrah, moved to Los Angeles more than 20 years ago, after earning a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas, Austin. He worked in production design while doing his visual art on the side. Concurrently, he toured internationally with his two-piece band, Restavrant. During all of this, he continued to do carpentry-type work—production and set design, designing and building recording studios, and, now, producing a line of home accents and wall hangings. Through all of these jobs, he picked up a habit of saving interesting leftover material (wood, metal, doors, shelves, etc.) that he couldn’t bear to see go to waste, even though he did not know, at the time, what he was saving it for.

In December 2017, his mother, Judy Murrah, passed away. She was an avid quilter, art educator, author, and textile designer. As a process of feeling close to her and his childhood, he revisited his visual art with a new body of work—she always wanted him to do something “quilt-inspired” with his art.

This inspiration has turned into a great way to use up salvaged material and bring new life to the old. Starting with a solo art show in November 2018 at 4th Street Vine in Long Beach, California, Troy presented pieces that were personal commentaries on the strength of our mothers, the ability to turn even the humblest living conditions into a home, and remembering that chivalry is not dead. Since then, he has received an overwhelmingly positive response, including invitations to speak at guild meetings, commissions, and press.

Taking on a life of its own, Troy’s body of work continues to expand with new artistic additions created on an ongoing basis. Overall, his artwork pays homage to tradition and remains very sentimental, drawing on themes related to normal everyday life at home, or even to some of his bizarre “storybook”-like experiences, while offering a fresh take on the traditional quilt. The wall hangings he makes range in size from 8″ x 8″ (20.3 x 20.3cm) to 7′ x 6′ (213 x 183cm), and he has also expanded to making functional furniture pieces.

Along with his wife, Michelle, he runs Built Quilt, a brand of quilt-inspired home accents, celebrating timeless quilt patterns beyond the cloth. The pair resides in Torrance, California, with their two young sons, Thompson and Tyrus. Their video series, “Wood Riddance,” can be found online and streaming. To learn more about Troy and his work, visit www.BuiltQuilt.com, or find him on Facebook and Instagram @BuiltQuilt.