A master of hand carving in wood - Alexander Grabovetskiy

With all the computerized tools and machines that are in the woodworking field it seems unbelievable that there are still people who continue to hand-decorate furniture or wooden objects. Yet these artists do exist, and their artistry is impressive. One of them is Alexander Grabovetskiy, winner in 2012 of the "International Carver of the Year" award. For Alexander hand carving is more than a profession, more than a hobby, it is life itself. He has been carving since the age of 6 and does it continuously, from morning till night. They say that if you give him a piece of wood and ask him to carve it, he can make anything out of it. But absolutely anything.

Alexander also has an impressive life story. He was born in the Soviet Union in 1973 into a family with a tradition in woodworking. His great-great-grandfather was known for his mastery of woodworking and had his own workshop. At the age of 6, his grandfather taught him to carve, and from then on wood became his life. At the age of 16 he managed to impress Vladimir Tokarev, a famous woodcarver of the time, and became his apprentice.

Everything seemed settled and peaceful in Alexander's life, which seemed to be on the path traveled by his ancestors. But the course of this peaceful life was suddenly interrupted. He was arrested and imprisoned for refusing to serve in the army, which was compulsory in the Soviet Union, and for his religious beliefs. He was released from prison in 1994 on his 21st birthday. He immediately started his own business, like his great-grandfather, in wood carving. In fact, he had never stopped working with wood, doing the same in prison. Shortly after he got married, he emigrated to the USA in 1996 with his wife and 10-month-old child, where he applied for political asylum.

Now living with his wife and 3 children in Florida, Alexander's skill in hand carving wood has grown and he is known and has work all over the world. He works in various styles, in high and low relief, and creates architectural decorations. He is often called upon to restore damaged parts of wooden furniture or buildings in museums or private collections.

He uses only hand tools, believing that this is the only way to enhance the beauty of the wood, give it personality and make the work unique. The marks left by the tools on the wood are unmistakable and personalize the work just like the brush strokes of painters on canvas. His technique creates light and shadows that seem to bring the object to life. It is similar to that practiced by a famous 16th-century sculptor, Grinling Gibbons, a constant source of inspiration for Grabovetskiy.

Alexander shares his art with others, not only through online tutorials, but also as a teacher at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, where he teaches the course "Carving with a Classical Flair". Here he teaches his students to think in 3D, but also efficiently about carving as a whole.

Alexander Grabovetskiy is one of the great artists of wood, being hopelessly in love with it and one of the few who continue to decorate furniture or architectural woodwork with hand-made sculptures. He says he will continue to hand carve wood because he loves this waltz that chisel steel and wood dance together.