While some objects are conceptual or inspired by materials, some are driven by wisdom to try out something new. In this case we really wanted to test our skills in woodcarving.

The Wing shelf was inspired by wooden carved altars that can be found a lot in protestant and lutheran churches across North Europe, including Estonia. In 2021 we attended a friend’s wedding, where the service was held in a small church in West-Estonia. The Vigala church has a very valuable and important wooden altar for Estonia, created by the very talented and scandalous baroque carpenter. Christian Ackermann altars can be found across Estonia, but the Vigala church one stands out due to its recent infamous history. The church’s priest wished to give the altar a fresh look and bought regular silicone based paint from a shop and repainted the whole thing. Due to the type of paint used, the altar now cannot be restored to its original state, leaving behind a rather kitsch and silly looking wood carvings.

The wing of the shelf and hands were inspired by the slightly clumsy masters of Estonia, whose lions looked more like dogs and the proportions of saints are always off.