Brian Gladwell was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, in 1947.He studied political science at the University of Saskatchewan before moving to Fort Qu'Appelle and learning carpentry. By 1973, he owned his own furniture studio and became the Woodworker-in-Residence at the Neil Balkwill Civic Art Centre in 1983. Gladwell used a variety of materials in his work, such as cardboard and wood. His work is shown in both Canada and the USA, and can be seen in Regina at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, and the Dunlop Art Gallery. Brian explains his craftsmanship as such:
"Good design, precision, care and attention to detail are the classic attributes of craftsmanship. The value of work lies in what you do with the materials, not in the preciousness of the materials."
Gladwell started working with cardboard because the processes needed to make wood furniture were time intensive, so the furniture he created could not be afforded by his friends. He had been using cardboard to make models, and he knew it was able to be used for many things, so he tried making furniture with it. He finds it an interesting material to work with from a functional perspective, with it's lightweight, yet strong, nature, and interesting aesthetic qualities. He also finds it interesting from a philosophical one, pondering the notions of permanence, function, what defines furniture, and the lines between craft, fine art and design.