A master of hand carving in wood - Alexander Grabovetskiy

With all the computerised tools and machines that are in the woodworking business it seems unbelievable that there are still people who continue to hand decorate furniture or wooden objects. Yet these artists do exist, and their art is impressive. One of them is Alexander Grabovetskiywinner of the 2012 International Carver of the Year award. Hand carving is for Alexander more than a profession, more than a hobby, it is life itself. He has been sculpting since he was 6 years old and does it continuously, from morning till night. They say 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 of woodworking. His great-grandfather was known for his woodworking skills 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 well-known woodcarver of the time, and became his apprentice.

Everything seemed settled and peaceful in Alexander's life, as it seemed to be on the same path that the ancestors had walked before. But the course of this peaceful life was to be suddenly interrupted. He is arrested and imprisoned for his refusal to join the army, which is compulsory in the Soviet Union, and for his religious beliefs. He was released from prison in 1994 on his 21st birthday. He immediately starts his own business, like his great-grandfather, based on wood carving. In fact, he had never stopped working with wood, doing the same in prison. Shortly afterwards he married and in 1996 he emigrated to the US with his wife and 10-month-old child, where he sought 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 works all over the world. He works in a variety of styles, in high and low relief, and makes architectural decorations. He is often called upon to restore damaged parts of furniture or wooden constructions 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 painters' inks on canvas. His technique allows him to create lights and shadows that seem to bring the object to life. It is similar to that practised 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 3D, but also effectively 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 works in wood with handmade sculptures. He says he will continue to hand carve in wood because he loves this waltz that chisel steel and wood dance together.