Black Totem

Black Totem is an upright geometric mass in which pure form quietly turns into a figure. The wide, trapezoidal crown, pierced by a single circular opening, reads as a head with an eye — a gaze returned directly to the viewer. Below it the body breaks into stepped shoulders and forked legs, setting up a rhythm of sharp angles and shadows that shifts with the hour and the direction of the light. Deep black and a matte, faintly grained surface reinforce the compactness of the piece, so the sculpture is read above all as a silhouette: clean, decisive, stripped of ornament. Every piece is handmade — shaped and finished entirely by hand, outside of mass production.

The form is cut, sanded and matted by hand, which means small variations in texture, edge and depth of black are an inherent quality of the work rather than a flaw. They are precisely what keeps each Black Totem one of a kind. The sculpture sits best on a pale shelf, a mantelpiece, a console or a desk, where it has room around it and a contrasting background. It works equally well in a home interior, an office or a gallery space. A dry or slightly damp cloth is all the care it needs.