There are very few who could bring a fallen wooden log to life. Many a time, these logs would be used as firewood. However, one beautiful soul from Japan has started doing something different.
Japanese wood carving artist Mori Kono and his team based in Abbotsford, BC, Canada, create the most beautiful wood sculptures from giant fallen trees ranging from birch, yellow and red cedar, and even alder wood. At first glance, you think that these animals are crawling from fallen trees, or just hanging from wooden logs. They look so realistic.
If you visit his official website MK Carving and Sculpting, you will be able to see all of Kano’s high-quality creations, done according to customer requests from carved doors and woodcarving restorations to wood sculptures. While doing small custom gifts to large scale carvings for private clients, Kano and his team also create mantles, centrepieces for hotel lobbies, architectural decors, totem poles and wood signs.
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To carve the most intricate details from a wooden log, the sculptor uses power tools and a small chisel. While he adds more colour to give the sculpture more highlighted features such as featured, fur and eyes, it finally comes to life, and Kano’s studio tries to incorporate the beauty of nature into the wood as much as possible. In an interview, the team says, “If our completed works of art are able to contribute to society, to have a deeper feeling and respect towards nature and the wild. Then that is our greatest dream!”
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On the studio’s website, their principal mission is written as follows: “Our main mission is to bring our, or back, the wondrousness of nature to this busy, modern world. All living things in this world exist and accept every rule of Mother Nature, living in balance. If our completed works of art are able to contribute to society – to have a deeper feeling and respect towards nature and the wild more often, then that is our greatest dream!”
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For the designs Kono has in his mind, he requires a range of power tools to bring it to life. He also uses a handheld chisel to carve delicate details such as the fur, eyes and features of the animals which he sculpts. Finally, he brings them to life by colouring them.
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With over 20 years in the industry, this sculptor is well recognized in several groups in the U.S. and Canada as a quality wildlife sculptor and architectural woodcarver. This group has commissioned work from private clients for creating large scale sculptures to the smallest custom gifts, and Kono and his team have created precious hand-carved doors as well.
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This sculptor also documents the techniques and processes he uses on social media. If you want to get unique and custom made sculptures, just visit their site and contact them. The latest creation of the group can be viewed through their Facebook and Instagram pages.
