Christoph Finkel | Lead/Follow – my conversations with wood

"LEAD/FOLLOW – My Conversations with Wood" shows new works by the German artist and sculptor Christoph Finkel. He has in recent years made several successful exhibitions internationally, and this is his second solo exhibition in Sweden. In "LEAD/FOLLOW" we are shifting focus from Finkel's extreme technical skills, to the long and intimate interaction between the artist and his idiosyncratic material. An interaction where the parties alternately lead and follow, and where the singularity of the wood can be perfection in the conversation with Christoph Finkel.

It's hard not to become dazzled by how skillfully Christoph Finkel handles the wood. Or how he constantly refines and develops new techniques to create unique, sculptural bowls and vases, or simply sculptures. For Finkel, technology is a means to convey the story, and to create a perfect work of art. His search for the right tree near his home in the Bavarian Alps, his ongoing conversation with a living material that always offers new challenges and opportunities, his time-consuming work with the lathes and hand tools that require millimeter precision and finally, his anticipation and control of an at least month long drying process. Christoph Finkel's sculptures are ultimately a combination of his own artistry and skills, and of the tree's history and unique characteristics.