Stylish Wood Sculptures Created from Discarded Tree Trunks and Branches

Jae-Hyo Lee, a South Korean artist who lives in “Yangpyeong” with his artist wife “Cha Jong Rye”, uses organic materials like wood to make large-scale, sculptural pieces that favor both form and function. The artist mainly focusing on geometric shapes, like the sphere, and in some way manages to transform tree trunks and substantial branches into flawlessly formed globes, columns, and furniture-like objects. Lee said, I know very well, that i am enough able to make artworks with materials around me which I can manipulate. Normally these materials are from nature.

Therefore, when it comes to his wood sculptures, I normally forgoes exclusive, rare trees in favor of scraps from cheap or abandoned specimens, explaining, and I strongly believe you can get more of a “wow effect” when you make a prominent piece from every day, common materials. In order to achieve striking, smooth look of sculptures, the 50 year old “Lee” engulfs each piece in flames until the wood is charred black. After that he polishes the surface until the outer wood pieces gleam glowingly, contrasting sharply with the dark color of the scorched interior. The artist usually displayed in museums, galleries, and the lobbies of high-end hotels, there are an elegant, pristine quality of organic work that belies the grueling manual labor that went into the creation of apiece sculpture.