Sculptor Gil Bruvel’s work seems to be both modern and craft movement inspired at the same time. They are made of hundreds of parts; intricate, yet, when viewed form a distance, are smooth and cohesive. We’ve asked the artist to delve into his process and themes and a bit of his background as an artist.
Hi-Fructose: Your sculptures evoke pixelations, yet have a tactile, natural feel with the use of materials like wood…
Gil Bruvel: I’ve always been drawn to wood for many of the same reasons you mention. Beyond its tactile quality and organic warmth, wood carries the element of growth and time within itself. The rings, the grain, and the branching structures all tell a story—one that connects to both the microscopic and the vast, cosmic scale.
The detail and variations of each piece seem infinite, yet they combine together as a whole. It brings to mind the galaxy, space, the smallness and overwhelming infiniteness of things…
Exactly. The concept of infinity, whether in the microscopic or the macroscopic—is something that deeply inspires my work. Wood itself holds a direct correlation between these two scales. When we look at it with the naked eye, we see its growth rings, marking time in a way that feels tangible. These patterns remind us of the passage of time and, in a way, mirror the structure of the cosmos—branching patterns of trees echoing the vast filaments of galaxies.
At the same time, when I cut a plank of wood into sticks of varying dimensions and assemble them into a face, the visible rings create quarter, half, or full circular patterns. When stacked together, these organic patterns form an abstract, almost randomized texture. For me, this represents how we perceive time—it isn’t fixed but shifts depending on our state of mind. The way the pieces come together speaks to the interconnectedness of all things, from the smallest cellular structures to the immense and unknowable universe.
I notice that there are some areas where a piece is “missing”; smooth surfaces are broken up by their absence, creating tiny shadows. I think that your work wouldn’t have the same impact without these deviations… The seeming “imperfections” make the sculpture appear more real to me…
I see these “imperfections” as a profound metaphor for our own humanity. They aren’t flaws, but deliberate choices that speak to the transient and unpredictable nature of life. When a piece is missing or a smooth surface is interrupted by a tiny shadow, it mirrors the gaps and breaks we all experience—those moments of vulnerability and change that ultimately shape us.
In my work, these deviations create a dialogue between what is complete and what remains open, inviting us to acknowledge that perfection isn’t the true essence of our existence. Rather, it’s in the irregularities and the unexpected absences where real beauty is found. They remind us that our lives are a blend of light and shadow, certainty and ambiguity, and that each “imperfect” moment contributes to our ongoing narrative.
The meditative faces, with their intentional disruptions, are like anchors to the present moment. They ground us in a flow of life that values authenticity over idealization. By embracing the inherent imperfections, I hope to encourage a mindset where we see every experience, even those marked by absence or deviation as essential, offering us endless possibilities to grow, transform, and manifest a more positive, genuine approach to living.
These missing elements, the deliberate absences in my sculptures, embody the essence of impermanence. They echo the natural world, where nothing stays static—wood ages, elements wear away, and every moment transitions into the next. By intentionally creating gaps, I’m inviting the viewer to consider that what’s missing is as significant as what’s present.
In our lives, too, we often focus on the tangible, yet it’s the transient, ephemeral moments—the things that slip away—that define our experiences. These voids remind us that impermanence is not a flaw but a beautiful, integral part of existence. They encourage us to appreciate the present and to find beauty in the ongoing process of change, rather than in a static state of perfection.
The way the pieces come together speaks to the interconnectedness of all things, from the smallest cellular structures to the immense and unknowable universe.
