• Zsombi collects driftwood to make kitchen tools
• His first spatulas were gifts to friends who shared his passion for cooking
• His utensils reveal the interior beauty of weathered salty wood

Romanian wood sculptor Zsombi Keresztes learnt to carve from his father and grandfather. “I have been whittling with a pocket knife ever since I can remember.” When he moved to the Azores and couldn’t find any wooden cooking tools in the kitchen of his rented house, he broke a board off a pallet to make a spatula with a paring knife. His next spatulas were offered to friends who share his passion for cooking and they encouraged him to sell his pieces. “I realised there was perhaps an interest in what I do, so I quit my graphic designer job and the Azorean artisan centre (CRAA) helped me set up a workshop within their start-up incubator programme.” Protective of his environment, Zsombi’s uniquely shaped kitchen tools are made from driftwood he finds on his island’s shores.