Master carver Siggi Buhler was born in 1962 high in the rugged mountains of Switzerland, in the famous skiing village of Wengen. Surrounded by carving from birth, he watched his father construct traditional alpen wooden drinking vessels and conjure forth his inner world through explorations with chisel and wood. Siggi apprenticed for four years at the renowned Woodcarving School of Brienz, immersing himself in the classical wood sculpting techniques of the rigourous Swiss carving tradition. Having absorbed the stringent methods of the Old World at the side of the meticulous Swiss masters, he was quickly taken on by the Huggler-Wyss Carving company of Brienz, where he further honed his skills. During his subsequent travels in North America from 1984 to 1985, Siggi worked as a Journeyman throughout the United States and Canada. He then carved for elite private clientele in Switzerland before moving permanently to Canada, where he has accepted international clients since 1988.
His carving has been presented by the Prime Minister of Canada and Governor General to Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee. Siggi has also recently been entrusted to sculpt Queen Elizabeth's personal coat of arms, which will be unveiled in Spring 2014. His work has been commissioned for the private collections of Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican, former CEO of Microsoft Bill Gates, and Peanuts cartoon creator, Charles Schultz.
Siggi's carving stands prominently in Canada's national parliament building, Rideau Hall and the Province of Ontario's Legislative Assembly at Queen's Park in Toronto. Other institutional commissions include the Law Society of Upper Canada, the University of Toronto, Western University, Queen's University, Sunnybrook Veteran Hospital, Sick Kid's Hospital, the Clarke Institute CAMH, Upper Canada College, Trinity College, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, and Greenwood College, among others. Siggi also carves in other media such as stone, sand, snow, and butter, and his sculptures have been cast in brass and gilded in gold.
