Joël Urruty was born in San Francisco, CA in 1968, the son of French Basque immigrants. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from San Francisco State University. He apprenticed as a furniture maker under David J. Marks, master craftsman, and later went on to earn a Masters of Fine Art degree in Furniture Design and Woodworking from the School of American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology. Urruty has taught in various institutions, such as Philadelphia University and University of the Arts. He has also taught courses at Penland School of Craft, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts and Peter's Valley Craft Education Center. Urruty is a full-time artist creating sculptures as well as furniture, which he has shown in various galleries and museums in the United States and Japan.