Description
Pendere — Charred Pear Wood Sculpture
Pendere is a one-of-a-kind abstract sculpture hand-carved from solid pear wood, where smooth charred surfaces meet a deeply textured interior.
Two rising forms remain connected across a narrow central passage. They seem to pull away from one another while still belonging to the same piece — creating a quiet tension between separation and connection, stability and movement.
Its character changes with position. Standing upright, Pendere feels contained and architectural. Shifted onto another of its stable planes, the same form begins to lean and the balance changes. What was still suddenly carries movement.
Process & Material
Pendere was created in 2025 without a drawing, template, or predetermined final form.
I began with the wood itself and worked intuitively, allowing one cut to lead to another. During the process, an H-like structure began to appear — two vertical forms held together through the centre. I did not set out to create it; it emerged while carving.
At first I saw the sculpture standing upright. It felt balanced and quiet. But when I changed its position, the relationship between its two sides changed completely. The form began to lean, and with that small shift came a sense of movement that had not been visible before.
I kept both possibilities.
The pear wood was carved, burned, brushed, and worked further by hand. Some areas were brought back to a smooth, restrained surface, while the recessed interior was left deeply textured. Fire unifies them through colour, but does not erase their differences.
Across the smooth surfaces, light appears as broad, soft transitions from black to graphite. Inside, every carved mark catches it separately. The texture becomes visible not through colour, but through shadow and reflection.
The sculpture was finished with a matte Osmo wood finish, preserving the tactile character of both surfaces.
Presence in Space
Pendere has no separate base. Its balance belongs to the sculpture itself.
It can rest securely in two different positions, and each creates a different relationship with the surrounding space. Upright, the form feels narrow, vertical, and composed. In its alternative position, the same volumes open outward, and the sculpture becomes more dynamic.
This ability to change is part of the work rather than an additional function. There is no single prescribed viewpoint.
Natural light reveals the difference particularly clearly. The smooth charred pear absorbs much of it, while the hand-carved interior breaks it into small highlights and deep shadows. From some directions the textured passage is almost concealed; from others it becomes the visual centre of the sculpture.
The result is a work whose presence depends on proximity, viewpoint and light — quiet from a distance, considerably more complex when approached.
Authenticity
Pendere is an original, one-of-a-kind sculpture created and hand-carved by me in my studio in Poland in 2025.
It was made from solid pear wood and individually carved, charred, brushed, textured, and finished by hand. The wood’s natural characteristics remain visible in the finished sculpture.
The photographs show the actual work in natural light. No AI-generated renders or digitally created interiors were used.
The artist signed and dated the sculpture.
Technical Details
Title: Pendere
Year: 2025
Type: Original abstract sculpture
Material: Solid pear wood
Technique: Intuitive hand carving, charring, brushing, texturing, and sanding
Finish: Matte Osmo wood finish
Surface: Smooth charred wood contrasted with hand-carved texture
Base: None — two stable display positions
Dimensions: H 34 × W 25 × D 14 cm
Origin: Handmade in Poland
Edition: Unique piece — 1/1
Signature: Signed and dated underneath
Status: Private collection
Private Collection
PENDERE was created in 2025 and is now held in a private collection.
This work is no longer available for purchase.