Wood Art

Travelling is a series of delights....

Javanese carvers usually inherit their profession. They have passed down the secrets of the craft for generations and have perfected it. In our travels, we met many small manufactories that display works painstakingly created over months. Carved mainly in teak, but also in suara or mahogany, the paintings usually show the beauty of their nature.

It is nature - its spirit, its rhythm, its complexity - that is the greatest source of inspiration for the Indonesian masters. Every leaf, branch, flower or bird has a meaning in these compositions. They are not just decoration - they are symbols of life, transience, fertility, wisdom, spiritual forces. The carver takes a long look at the wood before touching it with his chisel - because good wood has its own character, which cannot be ignored.

Teak, suar, mahogany - materials that inspire

Teak is a royal wood. Oily, hard, resistant to weather and time, it will last for decades without losing its beauty. That is why it is chosen for sculptures and furniture designed not only for interiors, but also for gardens, terraces and spa areas. Well ‘worked’ teak has a golden sheen and silky texture to it.

Suar, on the other hand, is a wilder wood. Warm, contrasting, with a grain reminiscent of waves or spreading circles in water. It is often used to create large, natural tabletops, abstract sculptures and organic forms.

Mahogany is a classic of elegance. Deep, burgundy-brown in colour, smooth, noble. It is used to create frames, furniture fronts, but also very intricately carved wall panels and decorations.

An art that requires patience

Creating one sculpture is a process that can take weeks or even months. It is not a tape production. It is an encounter between man and nature, chisel and fibre, breath and precision. Sculptors often work in small, open workshops, where birdsong, prayers, creaking wood and conversations with a neighbour can be heard in the background. Each work is different. Even if the motifs are repeated - no two sculptures are identical. Because every wood speaks a different language.

Why surround yourself with carved wood?

Wood is calming. It has something in it that cannot be programmed. It is authentic. Carving - especially that which has a story and has been handmade - becomes more than just decoration. It is a story. Sometimes about a place, sometimes about the artist. And sometimes - about you.

At Shekina, we don't just bring furniture or wood sculptures. We bring the stories of the people, the craftsmen and their generations.
Because true wood art doesn't start in the forest or end on a shelf. It begins in the heart. And it stays there too.