The sublime wood sculptures and everyday object by Ariele Alasko represent an ode to the happy encounter between man and nature, a fusion of poetry and utility.
As daughter of the “social era”, it was through Instagram that her work became known to the great public. Initially it was more utilitarian objects like cutlery – the hand-shaped serving spoon is quite iconic, or the graphic chevron-like headboards. Also her brushes are quite exemplary: made with horse hair, the carved brushes are charred black using a Japanese technique called Shou Sugi Ban where wood is scrubbed and buffed and coated in wax.
Nowadays, it is her massive solid wood sculptures that have caught our attention: the hand carving process transforms the piece of wood into an amorphous creature that reveals the grain pattern of nature.
Going through Ariele’s IG feed, you clearly perceive her connection to the material goes beyond its origins and state: this poetic approach of hers is applied unlikely to one of her latest sculptures or to an old cabinet unit she “redid” for herself as a self-care activity at the beginning of New Year and whose result is absolutely fascinating. As sculptor and woodworker, her work is based on patience: each piece emerges slowly from the material and it is given the necessary time to be complete by the natural air dry process.
Her latest work consists of carved maple and hazelnut pieces for her new mobile sculpture, composed of a series of large carved abstract forms that reminds of leaves and a hand-shaped piece.
After studying sculpture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Ariele started woodcarving as a hobby. Soon after that, her father decided to open a restaurant in California and the artist helped him in designing and building the place. It was there when she fell in love with wood as a material and decided it wood has become the preferred medium of her art.
