Description
Within — Sculptural Walnut Wood Vase
Within is a one-of-a-kind sculptural wood vase, hand-carved from a single piece of European walnut. Its softly rounded exterior holds something much less quiet inside — a spiral of carved surfaces, warmer wood, and deep shadow that reveals itself only gradually.
From the side, the form appears almost closed. Pale, smooth surfaces create a calm silhouette, interrupted only by narrow recesses where darker walnut and carved texture become visible.
From above, that restraint disappears. The outer sections turn inward around the central opening, becoming sharper as they descend. Grain changes direction, warm browns emerge beside cooler walnut, and the deeper textured surfaces hold shadow between the sweeping edges.
What seems simple from a distance becomes much more complex when approached.
Process & Material
I carved Within intuitively from a compact piece of solid European walnut, without sketches or a predetermined final shape.
The form developed through removal. As I worked deeper into the wood, the relationship between the rising sections became increasingly important. One curve affected the next; widening a recess changed the balance of the neighbouring surface. I continued by responding to those changes rather than trying to bring the wood back to an earlier idea.
Eventually, the interior began to turn around itself.
I kept the outer surfaces smooth and carefully polished, while the deeper recesses retain a more physical record of carving. The contrast is not only tactile. It also allows light to behave differently across the same piece of wood.
The exterior was subtly cooled with a white-tinted Osmo wax. Inside, warmer walnut tones remain more visible among the textured surfaces. Nothing is heavily coloured or concealed — the differences come from the wood itself, the way it was carved, and the way each surface receives the finish.
As Within is turned, these transitions appear and disappear. Pale walnut moves into warmer brown; smooth grain gives way to carved texture; an opening that seems narrow from one direction becomes unexpectedly deep from another.
Presence in Space
Within has no single front.
From one side it can appear compact and almost closed. A small change in viewpoint opens one of the darker recesses. Seen from above, the sculpture changes again and reveals the spiral structure concealed within its outer silhouette.
Light becomes part of this movement.
Across the smooth exterior it creates broad, quiet reflections. Deeper inside, it catches the carved texture unevenly, strengthening shadow and bringing out warmer tones in the walnut.
The removable glass tube allows Within to hold water for fresh flowers, although the piece can remain completely empty as a sculpture. I especially like it with a single stem rising from the centre. It leaves the carved form visible and creates a quiet continuation of the movement already present in the wood.
In a restrained interior — among stone, linen, wood or concrete — I would give Within some space. Its presence comes less from scale than from the changing relationship between surface, shadow and what remains partly concealed.
Authenticity
Within is an original, one-of-a-kind piece, hand-carved by me in my small studio in Poland.
It was made from a single solid piece of European walnut using hand-held tools — without CNC, moulds, or replication.
Natural variations in grain, colour and structure remain part of the finished work.
The sculpture is signed and photographed in natural light. The photographs show the actual piece, without AI-generated renders.
Technical Details
Title: Within
Material: European walnut
Finish: Osmo white-tinted wax, matte
Technique: Hand-carved; smooth, polished surfaces with hand-textured recesses
Height: 27 cm / 10.6 in
Width: 20 × 17 cm / 7.9 × 6.7 in
Weight: 2.6 kg / 5.7 lb
Insert: Removable glass tube for water
Use: Fresh flowers, dried stems, branches, or sculptural display
Origin: Hand-carved in Poland
Edition: Unique piece, signed
Shipping
Hollow is finished and ready to ship.
Free shipping is available throughout the European Union.
For collectors in the United States, Hollow is shipped DDP, with customs duty prepaid.
For other destinations outside the European Union, the piece 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.
Hollow is carefully protected in reinforced packaging and shipped with tracking and insurance.
A VAT invoice is included where applicable.