Centregrain Sculpture

Ever since I started making mokume gane (wood grained metal in Japanese) I've wanted to carve the grain into relief. Having done so, I discovered the Guribori tradition, probably tracing its roots to Chinese lacquer carving. These traditions are many centuries old, but for some reason, nobody has ever matched the metal grain to that of the wood (that I can find). Here I have used spalted red beech from a good friend's garden, cutting into the top layer of metal before raising, to allow the stretch of that layer to help expose the bronze and copper beneath. Every tree is unique, each line of grain individual. As with all my work, here i celebrate the beauty and fragile complexity of nature.