Genesis spent much of his childhood in his father's woodworking studio. Peter Chapman began his woodworking career in the late 1960s in the studio of George Nakashima, a leading innovator of 20th century furniture design and an integral founder of the American craft movement. Known for his innovative style and distinctive furniture, Nakashima greatly influenced Peter's work. Peter's interest in intricate joinery led to the development of an original technique  of sculpting, carving and cutting a single piece of wood into a three-dimensional puzzle that moves and articulates like the animal it represents. Each animal puzzle has something hidden inside.

 

The puzzles soon became the basis for the family business. Situated in an old apple orchard in Virginia's Blue Ridge, everyone was involved and remain so: Peter, Jenny (mom)  and younger son Noah, a proficient woodworker in his own right.  Genesis began working full-time with his father in 1990, and learned invaluable skills that inspired him to build upon his father's foundation and carry on the family tradition of crafting unique wooden animal puzzles. 

 

With this next generation of Chapman puzzles, Genesis expands on the number of puzzles offered and pushes the boundaries of complex puzzle design. Peter, along with Noah,  continue with the  main line of animal puzzles found at chapmanpuzzles.com and available for purchase at dozens of galleries  across the U.S. Aside from his Songbird series, all of Genesis's puzzles are part of his Collectors' series, and are only available by special order. These Collectors' puzzles are complex and detailed, and are typically made of local woods and ethically sourced exotic wood.