Sven Arenander

Sven Arenander is a self-taught sculptor and artist working primarily in wood, ceramics, and metal. He uses visioning and connectivity for ideation, and his works often originate from images that emerge in focused meditations. Sven’s art is intentionally unaware of conventional guidelines and is more often driven by intuition. His work has been referred to as “tribal.”

Sven’s work is heavily inspired by the forest and its profound spiritual impact on humans. He draws from the astounding expressions of Mother Nature’s art that the forest holds and from the eternal cycle of life evident there. Wood that is decaying or otherwise unusual is a favorite starting material for Sven. He focuses on bringing out the inner beauty of the wood, rebirths it in a way, and often uses a ceramic or metal component for contrast and enhancement of wood features.

Sven began making art in 2014, following a long career as a technical/design creative in the paper and packaging industry.

“Almost all my raw material is found wood, from the forest, river, or discarded in someone’s yard or driveway. Like a diamond cleaver, I place the piece on display to allow it to speak to me. I turn it over many times, look at it from all angles, caress, pinch, knock, scrape, smell, and intensely observe. I watch and listen. I eventually get clear guidance for direction to take. Deep meditation often helps me see the finished piece. The process often involves iterations and false starts before the vision feels comfortable. From beginning to clear vision can take anywhere from an hour to a couple of months. At times my hands set direction on their own, working away for a while until the vision catches up. I often find that other materials like stone, ceramics, metal, or glass enhance the beauty of wood and can help bring out the message.”

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