Arts | Carving wood to raise environmental awareness

Mickael Obrenovitch

For French artist Mickael Obrenovitch, carving wood isn’t just about completing an artwork. He’s also hoping to raise awareness of environmental issues, particularly regarding deforestation in Indonesia.
“Human Roots,” an exhibition showcasing several of his teak wood sculptures, is now on display at the IaoHin gallery and will remain open to the public until July 2.
The artist shuttles between Bali, Indonesia, and La Reunion, a small island close to Madagascar. While on a trip to Bali, Mr Obrenovitch had the unique opportunity to carve a stack of wood a friend had given him.
Having studied applied arts and design, he first pursued a career in advertising, but soon developed a passion for organic sculpture.
“This is a collection I have been working on for three years. I have had the concepts for a really long time. I started working in wood carving fifteen years ago but I used to work in advertising during that time. It was difficult to make the change,” the artist acknowledged.
On the sidelines of the exhibition opening ceremony on Friday, Mr Obrenovitch said that his art is also intended to raise awareness of environmental issues, with a particular focus on protecting the Indonesian rainforest. “We hear about [the same problem in] Amazonia, but in Indonesia this is an even bigger problem,” he stressed.
One of his artworks will be auctioned off, and 30 percent of the profit will be donated to the Save Indonesian Rainforest campaign.
The Human Roots collection comprises 46 pieces. Although each has its own special meaning, the artist said that together, they portray a single forest.
“I don’t see the pieces individually; it’s about a collection because I think of it as a forest. It’s like all the individual trees and together they make a forest. I try to connect to people and raise awareness of this issue,” he said.
Having already displayed his work in Asia, Mickael Obrenovitch recalled that he felt the need to start off in Bali, because that’s where he’s based most of the time. Moreover, he’s grateful to the island for what it has given him so far. “I wanted to display my work around Asia because I believe the deforestation problem in Indonesia is still not very well-known. We do not speak about it that often,” he added.
The exhibition will be on display at the IaoHin gallery until July 2, as part of the Le French May festival program.