Sculpture · Wood · Painting
Idris Koné
Lagos, Nigeria
“Carving is a negotiation with what the material has already survived.”
Biography
Idris Koné carves compact sculptures from storm-felled and reclaimed timber. Rounded masses are interrupted by cuts that reveal grain, old hardware marks, and the tree's earlier life.
Artist statement
I do not want reclaimed wood to pretend it is new. Its dents and repairs give the form a longer present.
In the studio
Koné works with adzes, rasps, and controlled burning. Surfaces are finished with wax and earth pigment rather than opaque paint. Large paintings run beside the carved work, using charcoal-like marks to explore weight without mass.
