Hand made in Hudson, New York by artist Rachael Que Vargas, each bowl is cut by hand with a plasma torch at 45,000° Fahrenheit. That’s 4.5 times as hot as the surface of the Sun or the Earth’s core! The attention to detail required by such tools carries over to every element of her work and business.

Our story began in late 2004 when a girl was shopping for sculpture materials at the scrap yard (as one does).

Seeing a propane tank being cut into pieces to send to the smelter for recycling, she had a vision of what it could become. She bought the round ends from the tank and carted them back to her studio. After months of studying flame imagery and making drawings, she unveiled what was then called the Great Bowl O’ Fire Sculptural Firebowl. Shortly after she posted photos on her blog, Boing Boing picked it up and the design went viral. Demand for her fire pits grew every year.

Vargas’ Sculptural Fire Pits were the very first artist-created decorative fire pits to be made from the ends of recycled propane tanks. Since 2005 Vargas has sold more than 2,400 fire pits, shipping to all 50 states and over 20 countries.

Hudson Valley Fire Pits have an immediate visual appeal as well as providing a story, meaning, and social interaction. They offer an opportunity to gaze into the fire and connect with the human questions that have enticed every imagination since we first gathered around a captive flame over a million years ago.

Hudson Valley Fire Pits function as gorgeous sculptural elements even when not in use. In sunlight, the designs cast intriguing shadows both inside and outside the bowl. When lit, the bowls cast flickering shadows as lively as the fire within.

Previously known as John T. Unger Sculptural Firebowls, a new brand identity became necessary when Rachael transitioned to female. Hudson Valley Fire Pits preserves the classic line of fire features she is known for while re-envisioning her work to focus on sustainable practices of limited production and local markets. Limiting the number available also creates a balance that allows her to support herself and her studio while investing in making new work on a legacy time scale.