Twisty Wood Sculptures by Xavier Puente Vilardell
Xavier Puente Vilardell is the artist who is responsible for these awesomely twisted wood sculptures. His pieces feature spirals, twists, and seemingly-impossible curves. What’s impressive about his pieces is that they’re hand-carved out of a single piece of hardwood. Xavier prefers using pine for his sculptures, but utilizes other fine-grained hardwoods as well.
Carving, regardless of the medium, is a daunting yet thankless task. The whole process could take months, if not years from start to finish. Xavier’s technique, in particular, incorporates organic curves into the wood that go all the way to the other side. Some of his wood sculptures look like twisted pieces of molten metal – not an easy look to achieve with wood. The seamlessly incorporated twists in the wood presents a strong visual impact to the viewer. There’s also an irresistible pull to run one’s hand all over the carving. I’m pretty sure Xavier’s carvings are just as lovely to hold as they are to look at. They all have a highly polished finish with a thin coating of protective varnish that shows the grain of the wood to great advantage.
During an interview, he said: “My work is the result of a very deep and sincere feeling. It lets matter find its own expression though a passionate interaction with the artist. The outcome evidences a strong Mediterranean tradition, where carved holes in the wood turn into light beams caressing amazing shapes.”
Xavier is currently based in Brussels, Belgium.
Wood sculptures
Check out his website for more wood sculptures. Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on twitter and facebook!