Witness

Crafted from a highly figured piece of box elder burl, Witness preserves the beauty formed through years of stress, damage, and subsiquent regrowth. Burl is formed when a tree undergoes stress or damage, as a resultant of the healing, a burl is formed. Witness is an example of regrowth from an injury. Natural voids and fractures within the burl have been repaired using brass inlays inspired by kintsugi, transforming the scars of the material into part of its identity rather than something to conceal; emphasizing the wabi sabi of the piece. Finished in Danish oil, the surface carries a deep warmth that allows the grain and shifting tones of the burl to emerge beneath the light.

Part of the Mortal Man series, Witness reflects on survival as a visible act. Light escapes unevenly across the repaired surface, catching the brass seams and illuminating the history embedded within the wood itself. The piece exists as both lamp and artifact; A record of fracture, repair, and endurance.

This piece was born from the song Mortal Man by Kendrick Lamar. Witness inspired the entire line of Mortal Man lights. If someone wanted to fully experience witness, they would listen to the the song by Kendrick, specifically from moment at 10:28.