WorkArt & Culture

Hand carved wooden sculptures by Paul Kaptein

Australian artist Paul Kaptein carves wood by hand to sculpt incredibly realistic depictions of people and clothing.

Written By:
Photography: © [Paul Kaptein](http://www.paulkaptein.com/49110/gallery)

Photography: © Paul Kaptein

Amongst all of his sculptures, the 'hoody' or hooded sweatshirt seems to dominate. Retaining its form as though someone is wearing it, the sculpted hood is in fact empty. The empty shroud almost points to a representation of death.

He explains: "My work is broadly concerned with the agency of the present moment. By sampling various cultural and temporal trajectories, I’m exploring the notion of the now as a remix of past and future potentialities. This facilitates a renegotiation of perceptual truths resulting in an expression of things, not quite a truth, yet not quite a fiction."

Interestingly, Kaptein does not paint his sculptures. Rather, he leaves his material to be an integral part of the sculpture, to be considered alongside its content.

Hand-carved wooden sculpture by Paul Kaptein depicting a figure with multiple arms raised in dynamic poses, standing on a rectangular wooden base with rectangular cutouts throughout the body and limbs
Hand carved wooden sculpture by Paul Kaptein showing an upright wooden arm making a peace sign gesture
Hand-carved wooden sculpture of a hooded sweatshirt by Paul Kaptein, hollow and suspended with a carved wooden finial on top
Hand-carved wooden sculpture of a hooded sweatshirt with an empty interior, retaining its form as though worn by an invisible figure
Hand-carved wooden sculpture of a hooded sweatshirt by Paul Kaptein, showing flowing fabric folds with an empty hood
Hand-carved wooden sculpture by Paul Kaptein of a figure wearing a hooded sweatshirt, viewed from behind, with rectangular openings cut into the back and hood
Hand-carved wooden male figure wearing loose trousers and an open shirt, standing on a wooden plinth against a neutral background
Hand-carved wooden sculpture by Paul Kaptein depicting a shirtless male figure wearing textured trousers, with one arm outstretched, mounted on a wooden base
Hand-carved wooden sculpture by Paul Kaptein depicting a human skull in profile, tilted back with empty eye sockets and open jaw
Hand-carved wooden hooded sweatshirt sculpture by Paul Kaptein, draped over an invisible form against a grey background
Share