Zsombi Keresztes

S87WOOD

Woodcarver

©Marco Costa

Breathing new life into wood

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.

Interview

©Marco Costa

What do you love most about working with wood?: I love working with my hands: the feel and smell of wood never gets dull. It gives me joy to know that an object I made with chisels and rasps will be used in people’s kitchens for years to prepare food for themselves, their families and friends.
Could you share some challenges of working with driftwood?: It can be hard to identify the wood type based solely on structure, weight and smell. As my pieces are functional, I need to incorporate the natural flow of the grain into the design using the structure of the wood to make the piece strong and long lasting.
How important is the upcycling of wood to you?: It feels great to use millennia old sloyd and wood carving techniques to upcycle driftwood I collect myself and transform into uniquely designed utensils. I love the ocean and am happy to clean the shores turning beach debris into useful objects.
Would you like to share a story of a special piece of wood you found?: I regularly go swimming during my lunch break. Once I bumped into a thick branch floating in the water. It was an Australian blackwood that must have spent years in the ocean. The gorgeous colours inside made some excellent spoons, spatulas and butter knives.

Zsombi Keresztes is a rising star: he began his career in 2017 and he started teaching in 2020