The Artist

Jitendra Russell is a master craftsman, a dedicated environmentalist and epitomizes the potential of being the right person in the right place at the right time.

Born in Great Britain, Jitendra originally studied photography. At age 17 he traveled to India on a photographic expedition. Upon his arrival he immediately traded his camera for a sitar and absorbed himself into Indian culture.

It was there that he began designing and building a hybrid of the guitar and sitar he calls the ìSitaraî. This unique and award-winning instrument has helped define Jitendraís style as a utilitarian designer and showcase his skills as an artist working in wood.

India is a place of preciously limited natural resources (everything gets recycled) and in his 19 years there Jitendra was deeply impressed with an ethic of creative engineering and a personal practice of letting nothing go to waste. He sees his discovery of naturally-fallen Koa on Maui as a gift from Spirit and itís sparked a passion in him to create beautiful, functional, organic works of art from the materials that nature presents. With the inception of Eco-Maui Koa, Jitendra has had the opportunity to become fully immersed in every stage of the furniture making process. No longer just an artist, Jitendra is now a lumberjack, miller, master furniture craftsman and environmental activist.

With the inception of Eco-Maui Koa, Jitendra has had the opportunity to become fully immersed in every stage of the furniture making process. No longer just an artist, Jitendra is now a lumberjack, miller, master furniture craftsman and environmental activist.

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