“Sumi Fold”
“Sumi Fold” is a hand-carved walnut wood vase shaped through fire, texture, and intuition — a sculptural form where deep black surfaces slowly open into warm amber tones as light moves across the grain.
I carved this piece from a single block of solid walnut wood without sketches, templates, or predetermined measurements. The form emerged gradually through observation and response — guided by the density of the wood, its natural direction, and the tension between control and unpredictability.
At one stage of the process, fire became part of the sculpture.
I intentionally charred the surface, then spent many hours brushing it by hand to reveal the hidden structure beneath the burned outer layer. That process created the tactile texture that defines the piece today — a surface that absorbs light in shadow and softly reflects warmth when touched by the sun.
The dark exterior is not uniformly black.
Under changing natural light, subtle brown and copper tones begin to appear beneath the charred texture, revealing depth, grain, and movement within the wood itself.
I wanted this vase to feel shaped rather than manufactured.
Its asymmetry, softened edges, and visible transitions carry traces of the process instead of hiding them.
Even empty, “Sumi Fold” functions as a sculptural object.
With branches or minimalist floral arrangements, it becomes part vessel, part quiet architectural form.
I don’t carve wood. I carve what I feel — and the wood responds.
Presence in space
“Sumi Fold” works especially well in interiors built around natural materials, texture, and calm light.
Its dark brushed surface creates a quiet contrast against stone, linen, plaster, soft neutrals, and warm wood tones. Depending on the time of day, the vase shifts visually from deep matte black to warm, earthy browns revealed beneath the charred surface.
The form feels grounded and substantial, yet never visually heavy.
It introduces texture, shadow, and material presence into a space without dominating it.
It fits naturally into wabi sabi, Japandi, modern organic, and minimalist interiors where objects are chosen slowly and allowed to age visually with the atmosphere around them.
Authenticity
One of a kind — no reproductions, no CNC, no AI.
Hand-carved from a single piece of solid walnut wood in my studio in Poland.
Burned, brushed, oiled, and waxed entirely by hand using natural finishing materials.
All photographs show the real finished piece in natural light.
Signed by the artist.
Technical details
Material: solid walnut wood
Finish: burned, brushed, natural oil, and matte wax
Height: 23 cm
Diameter: 17 cm
Weight: 2.6 kg
Designed for dried flowers, branches, or sculptural arrangements.
Shipping
Ready to ship from Poland (EU).
Carefully packed using secure, mostly paper-based packaging materials.
Tracked shipping with trusted international couriers.
Free shipping within the European Union through my website.
Worldwide availability through my Etsy shop.
Studio process
A short film showing fragments of the sculpting process and the final sculpture in motion.