Description
Construct — Sculptural Applewood Vessel
Construct is a one-of-a-kind hand-carved applewood vessel shaped around the tension between controlled form and exposed material. Dark, architectural planes gather around a central opening, while carved recesses, natural cracks, and narrow passages reveal the more physical structure of the wood beneath them.
There is something deliberately unresolved in this piece.
From one side, Construct feels compact and almost monolithic. As it turns, the form begins to separate. Openings appear between the outer sections, dark interior spaces become visible, and the balance shifts from mass toward emptiness.
Seen from above, this becomes especially clear. The surrounding forms seem to gather around a central core — less like a traditional vessel and more like a small structure built around an opening.
Process & Material
I carved Construct intuitively from a single piece of applewood, without sketches, templates, or a predetermined final form.
The work developed through removing material and gradually opening the spaces between the individual sections. Some areas asked for control: smoother planes, clearer edges, a quieter surface. Others felt more convincing when they remained visibly worked.
I left the deeper recesses hand-textured rather than sanding them into uniformity. Tool marks remain present inside the form, where they catch and absorb light differently from the calmer outer surfaces.
The natural cracks were also left open and unfilled.
I did not want to correct them or disguise them. Within this particular sculpture, they belong to the same language as the carved channels, narrow openings, and exposed interior structure. They make the material feel more immediate — not perfected into anonymity, but still recognisably wood.
The applewood was finished with black Osmo wax. Rather than completely covering the surface, it darkens it while allowing warmer brown tones and traces of the grain to remain visible underneath.
As the light moves across the sculpture, those warmer areas appear and disappear.
Presence in Space
Construct has a concentrated, grounded presence.
In softer light, its silhouette becomes dense and almost closed. From a distance, the sculpture can read as one dark body.
Side light changes it considerably.
It enters the carved recesses, separates the individual planes, and reveals the spaces held inside the form. The sculpture becomes less about its outer contour and more about the relationship between solid wood, shadow and opening.
Its architectural character works naturally alongside concrete, stone, steel, linen and unfinished or quietly finished wood, particularly in restrained, gallery-like interiors.
Construct was conceived primarily as a standalone sculptural object. A single dry stem or branch can also be placed in the central opening, introducing a lighter organic line against the heavier structure of the vessel.
Authenticity
Construct is a one-of-a-kind original sculpture, hand-carved from a single piece of applewood in my studio in Poland.
Natural cracks and variations in the wood have been intentionally preserved as part of the finished work.
The sculpture is signed and dated by the artist and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Certificate No. EG-CT-2026-1/1
The photographs show the actual sculpture in natural light. No AI-generated renders are used to represent the work.
Technical Details
Title: Construct
Material: Solid applewood
Finish: Black Osmo wax
Technique: Intuitive hand carving, sanding, and hand-textured recesses
Height: 20 cm / 7.9 in
Diameter: approx. 17 cm / 6.7 in
Weight: 1.5 kg / 3.3 lb
Central opening depth: approx. 16 cm / 6.3 in
Opening diameter: approx. 2 cm / 0.8 in at the narrowest point, widening toward the top
Use: Standalone sculptural vessel or for a single dry stem or branch
Glass insert: Not included; a shorter glass tube may be used if desired
Edition: Unique piece, 1/1
Certificate: EG-CT-2026-1/1
Shipping
“Construct” is finished and ready to ship.
Free shipping is available throughout the European Union.
For collectors in the United States, the sculpture is shipped DDP, with customs duty prepaid.
For other destinations outside the European Union, the sculpture is declared as an original work of art under HS 9703. Local taxes or other destination charges, where applicable, remain the responsibility of the recipient.
Each sculpture is carefully protected in reinforced packaging and shipped with tracking and insurance.
A VAT invoice is included where applicable.