bente hovendal manufactures wooden sculptural furniture
all images courtesy of bente hovendal

 

 

 

bente hovendal is an artist and designer based in denmark who specializes in wooden products. once she intends to create the works that she envisions in her mind, she uses locally grown materials to realize their physical form. the lumber is then cut with a chainsaw, shaped, and hand polished, which gives soul and personality to each piece. ‘dressed in protective trousers and boots, visor and gloves, I start the chain saw. I put hard against soft and let myself be carried away into the power, accuracy and sound. my senses are sharpened and my focus in gear. when the engine sound interacts with the elements of nature I’m reminded of pursuing my mission and the desire to create yet another unique sculptural design,’ hovendal says. as a result of this mindset, she has crafted a collection of furnishings called ‘woodnwonder‘.

bente hovendal woodnwonder furniture denmark
office desk

 

 

 

the indoor furniture series is sturdy and usable while still holding remnants of the original life of the tree within the design. natural shapes stick out from the forms to expose the rigorous process used to produce them. as opposed to hiding the intricate imperfections of the timber, they are emphasized: cracks are clearly visible along the perimeter of the rigid surfaces, each stacked contour exhibits its own landscape the aged rings, and oranic knots add more depth to the unconventional texture of the tree. this combination of characteristics develops an overall fragile aesthetic, challenging the users perception of stability. for her justification of the deliberate manipulations, hovendal states, ‘incredibly few of the things that really matter in people’s lives, are straight or solid shaped. curves, shapes, wrinkles and quirky corners reveal the vitality that charms, attracts and impresses. I combine and create as many kinds of shapes and lines as possible within each piece of furniture. I can guarantee that none of them can be named as straight!’

bente hovendal woodnwonder furniture denmark
closeup of the coffee and side table

bente hovendal woodnwonder furniture denmark
conference table

bente hovendal woodnwonder furniture denmark
an outdoor picnic table and stools

 


video courtesy of bente hovendal

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.