Ernst Gamperl, Germany
Tree of Life 2, 2016
Oak
After graduating from a cabinetmaking apprenticeship, Gamperl went on to complete a master in woodturning and has establish studios in both Germany and Italy. Carving a distinct niche with his unique appreciation for wood has proliferated his work across Europe, Asia and America. Hewn from a massive 300-year-old oak uprooted during a storm, this large wooden containers take their design cues from the forms, fissures, and fractures of the original tree. While careful carvings of filigree parallel grooves evince the artisan’s hand on the surface, the treatment of clay, earth, and stone powder combine with the wood’s natural tannic acid to give the objects a fitting organic finish. Replete with natural imperfections, these tributes eternalise the story of a fallen tree.