Chase Halland and Faraway Lovely offer up a refreshing spin on taxidermy.
For Idaho artist Chase Halland, no job is too big — or too weird.
“Right now I have a dinosaur on my desk, a Triceratops, so that one’s going to be fun,” he says with a laugh. But the prehistoric creature isn’t the largest piece he has created. That distinction goes to a moose he made for The Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene. The massive mammal is five feet wide from the tip of one antler to the tip of the other, and it stretches four and a half feet from base to nose.
Most of Halland’s pieces, however, aren’t so sizable or so quirky. Using foam taxidermy forms, blanket-weight Pendleton fabric, and shed or faux antlers, he creates custom deer, bison, elk, and more — all made by hand in his Idaho studio. The Montana native’s fresh take on taxidermy, which he produces under the business name Faraway Lovely, has caught the eye of homeowners and interior designers across the country. They like that the pieces are fully customizable (clients choose the size, animal type, and fabric) and that no two creations are the same. It also helps that the made-to-order sculptures command attention in any room they occupy. Even a standard-size buck, which starts at $885, is about three feet tall, and there’s no denying the draw of an iconic Pendleton pattern. Some clients want Halland to give new life to old taxidermy, replacing the timeworn animal skin with one of Pendleton’s vibrantly hued wools.
“It’s nice because they supply their own antlers, and they have a story that goes with it,” he says. Although he’s staying busy with commissioned work, Halland has plans for a few big gallery projects, too, including a full-size deer suspended in a running motion. “That’s going to be interesting,” he says. “I’ve never done it, but I do like to challenge myself with new things.”
For more home inspiration …
Photography: Images courtesy Faraway Lovely
From our February/March 2021 issue.
