Description
Embrace — Abstract Walnut Wood Sculpture
Embrace is a one-of-a-kind abstract wood sculpture, hand-carved from a single piece of European walnut. Its flowing forms move around an open centre — approaching, separating, and meeting again without ever completely enclosing the space between them.
There is a quiet sense of connection within the sculpture. Each element seems to follow its own direction, yet none exists entirely on its own.
The space is not simply what was removed. It became part of the form itself — held gently between the surrounding curves.
From every side, that relationship changes.
Process & Material
I began Embrace without a sketch or predetermined design.
As with most of my work, the sculpture developed directly through carving. I removed the walnut gradually, responding to the grain, the resistance of the wood and to what appeared each time the piece was turned in my hands.
At first, there was only one solid block.
Creating the deep openings meant taking away a considerable amount of material while preserving increasingly narrow connections between the forms that remained. Each cut changed not only the shape, but also the balance of the whole.
The sculpture slowly became more open.
Some elements began to reach outward. Others curved back towards the centre. At a certain point, I stopped thinking only about the wood that remained and became equally aware of the space I was creating between it.
That space eventually became essential to Embrace.
I deliberately left the entire sculpture smooth. There are no carved textures to interrupt the movement of the form. Every curve, transition, and recessed area was progressively sanded by hand until the surface became soft and continuous to the touch.
European walnut naturally carries considerable variation in colour. This particular piece contained unusually pale areas alongside warmer grain and darker markings. I used a lightening wax to soften some of the yellow tones without hiding the natural character of the wood.
In changing light, those differences remain visible. The surface can appear almost chalky in soft daylight, while direct sun brings warmer walnut tones and stronger grain back into view.
Presence in Space
Embrace has no single front.
Its openings widen and narrow as you move around it. One form disappears behind another; a deep interior space becomes visible and then closes again. Light enters the sculpture differently throughout the day, creating shadows that belong as much to the work as the wood itself.
I chose not to place Embrace on a separate base.
Its divisions continue all the way down to the surface on which it stands, and I wanted to preserve that continuity. Without a strong horizontal boundary beneath it, the lower forms remain open to light and shadow and the sculpture meets its surroundings more directly.
In a quiet interior, Embrace does not need to dominate the space around it.
It works particularly naturally with materials such as stone, linen, plaster, concrete and pale or untreated wood — and in spaces influenced by Japandi, wabi-sabi, Scandinavian and organic modern aesthetics.
Given enough room to be seen from more than one direction, it continues to change.
Authenticity
Embrace is an original, one-of-a-kind sculpture, carved entirely by hand from a single solid piece of European walnut.
It is signed by me and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Natural variations in grain and colour are part of the sculpture and have intentionally been preserved rather than concealed.
The photographs show the actual sculpture in natural light and in different lighting conditions. No AI-generated images or renders are used to represent the work.
Technical Details
Title: Embrace
Material: European walnut
Finish: Lightening wax, smooth hand-sanded surface
Base: None — intentionally freestanding
Technique: Intuitive hand carving from one solid piece of wood
Dimensions: 36 × 24 × 19 cm / 14.2 × 9.4 × 7.5 in
Weight: 2.9 kg / 6.4 lb
Origin: Handmade in Poland
Authenticity: Signed by the artist, Certificate of Authenticity included
Edition: One of a kind
Private Collection
“Enbrance” was created in 2026 and is now held in a private collection.
This work is no longer available for purchase.