Lars Zech

Wood sculptor

Honouring the history of wood

Lars uses naturally-felled wood from near his workshop
Woodworking is like therapy for him
His first work was a head: half eagle, half human

Lars Zech’s workshop is located in the town of Gechingen, Germany, at the northern edge of the Black Forest. His work is deeply rooted in the natural world, which is the source of both his raw materials and his inspiration. He only uses tree trunks that come from near his workshop, which have been cut down due to disease, age or the weather. Some of them are hundreds of years old. “Seeing all the history of an ancient tree with missing branches and physical injuries leaves me awestruck, and I feel that I should take care of it. In using them for my sculptures, I feel that I am giving them new life, giving them back the energy and majesty that they once possessed.”

Interview

©Peter Rüßmann

Why did you choose to work with wood?: The wood grabbed me! The more I discovered the hidden power of this local wood, the more I was interested in showing its power and its deep relationship to humans. I wanted to discover the internal structure that is completely different from one piece of wood to the next.
How do you create your sculptures?: I look closely at a piece of wood and absorb the first deep feeling that arises in me. The specific look and selection of a piece of wood is what decides whether the sculpture will be okay or not.
Do you use any specific tools?: I construct my works using just the traditional medium of wood and a high tech chainsaw to create a perfect result. Working is just like therapy for me... I don´t need to see a psychologist!
What are your sources of inspiration?: A powerful source of inspiration comes from deep sea creatures or simply from the insects that live in the forest close to where I work. I’m not concerned so much with their shape, but rather with the character that emerges when looking at my sculptures.

Lars Zech is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1995