Category Archives: Wood

Vera van Wolferen

June 2, 2021 12:03 AM \

Dutch animator, set designer and visual artist Vera van Wolferen creates intricate and meticulously-constructed scenes out of paper, cardboard and wood.  She creates mostly miniature sculptures that look like sets for animated films, dividing her time between self-initiated projects and working for commercial clients. Her designs are kept to a minimalist style as the designer focuses on the architecture rather on an intricate color scheme.  On The Jealous Curator she says this about her work: 

“During my study in Fine Arts I was in the sculpture department, and kept making videos of my sculptures. That’s why I went to do animation, cause everyone said – hey you should make your sculptures move! So I did stop motion for a year, but figured out I was most interested in creating the set design, lighting and photographing the sets… not so much the animation part of it. I now focus on making “Story Objects”, sculptures that are vehicles for the imagination of the viewer. It feels like the objects contain a story, but it up to you to create your own.”

You can follow the artist on her website, Behance, Dribble, Facebook and Instagram.

Images:  Courtesy of Vera van Wolferen.

Posted in: Paper, Sculpture, Wood \ Tagged: , ,

Willy Verginer

April 21, 2021 12:03 AM \

Willy Verginer is an Italian contemporary artist and sculptor who lives and works in Ortisei, Italy.  He attended the Art Institute of Ortisei, where he studied painting and after graduation, worked in various wood sculpture studios in Val Gardena. He creates figurative wood sculptures, drawing inspiration from the arresting nature surrounding him and the fragility of our environment. On an interview with City Code he says this about the affect of his work location:

“The area I live in is indeed very beautiful. In my work, I see two sources of influence that remind me of home. The first is wood, my raw material. In my area there is a long tradition of using wood in architecture as well as in artistic handicraft. I grew up in an area where there is a long tradition of wood carving. In 1700 there were already many artists and shops that created wonderful baroque artworks. In 1800, Val Gardena was the greatest centre of religious wood carving. That’s how I learned the art of carving wood in my valley. The second source of influence is the environmental issue. Living in an area where the beauty of nature is really dominant, it was obvious that one of my themes would be overexploitation and destruction of nature. Had I lived in a big city, my expression would have definitely been much different.”

More of his work can be viewed on his website, Facebook and Instagram.

Images:  Courtesy of Willy Verginer.

Posted in: Sculpture, Wood \ Tagged: ,

Shiratani Kobo

February 12, 2021 12:03 AM \

Been looking at hearts for the upcoming holiday and found these in one of Japan’s lifestyle blog.  The brand, Shiratani Kobo, makes their products using recycled scrap wood from dismantled houses and construction sites. They create household goods, stationery, accessories and furniture.   Each piece is carefully handmade with carpenter’s designs and techniques that have been passed down for hundreds of years. The name of the workshop comes from the place name of Shirotani village where their workshop is located.  

More of their work can be viewed on their website, Facebook and Instagram.  They sell their work in the Japanese handmade market sites, Iichi and Minne.

Images:  Courtesy of Shiratani Kobo (aka Shiroitani Koubou).

Posted in: craft, Handcrafted, Japan, Wood \ Tagged: , , ,
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