International prize awarded to well-known wood craftsman

2024-01-23 -

This is Rubén Rodríguez, an artist from El Bolsón who was chosen to receive first place in the Sustainable Luxury Award in Latin America, whose motto is to preserve local culture and traditions. The work he presented is simply wonderful, a walnut carved from a radal trunk that fell during a storm and he decided to use it

It was called “Study of a Walnut” and won the “Wood Art” category of the “Sustainable Luxury Award in Latin America”, a distinction of an exclusively sociocultural nature, whose purpose is to annually recognize the combination of aesthetics, beauty and quality in the craftsmanship in the universe of luxury in Latin America.
The jury was made up of experts from different countries in South America and France. On this occasion, the craftsman from Bolsonaro was inspired “by the topography of Patagonia for his creation and used wood from a radal tree, native to the region. His work was exhibited in the MATRIA exhibition and is currently in galleries in Paris and Amsterdam,” Noticias DelBolsón reported.
“The word luxury is in quotes, valuing the ecological issue of craftsmanship and the way in which the carved piece is constructed, because hands are used and behind it there is a story to tell. There are even artisans who come with the transmission of their knowledge from generation to generation,” said the artist.
He added that “the award is important considering those who have won it, such as Máximo Laura (Peru), a true master and a hero in the loom, or the master silversmith Emilio Petarca (Buenos Aires), among others.”
The nut
He talked about how the idea of carving a nut was born “It is not a literal copy of the dried fruit, but one afternoon on the shores of Lake Puelo I began to see the geographical folds that appeared towards Cuevas Hill and Las Lágrimas Bay. As I always take the gouges, I started carving a maitén trunk that I found.”

“In reality, it represents the landscape of our mountain range and also this fruit of God that symbolizes the production of the area. The things that come out of wood always have to do with something internal that is being built, along with life,” he explained.
Rodríguez has a vast career in national and international exhibitions, with recognitions such as the National Fund for the Arts; International Award in Rural 2006; 12 first prizes in national craft fairs (wood category) and another three first prizes in sculptures. Likewise, this year the Río Negro Legislature distinguished his career as a sculptor and craftsman and declared his work of cultural and social interest. Likewise, he noted that “I was exhibiting at the National Poncho Festival (Catamarca), where I received a lifetime achievement award.”