Wood sculpture with organic shapes on a base.

Pflanze

The title of this sculpture is simply "Plant." From the tree, Daniel Bucur has created a plant. The hard wood appears lively, flexible, and soft. Often, the obvious can also open up new perspectives.

Robinia is a tree species originally native to North America. Its rapid and easy spread brought it to Europe in the early modern period. New forest stands developed, and today, Robinia is an extremely widespread utility wood. However, one peculiarity significantly sets Robinia wood apart from other wood species: it fluoresces when exposed to UV light.

For his sculpture of a plant, Daniel Bucur used Robinia wood. The upper part of the trunk and the large fork of a branch are still recognizable. An elaborately worked and polished part contrasts with the section that has been largely left in its original form. This arouses curiosity. The artificial and smooth is juxtaposed with the natural and rough. It raises the question of whether this connection is "natural."

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Kiss on Top

Will love save the world, or is it beauty, as Fyodor Dostoevsky writes in the novel "The Idiot"? We don't know for sure. But one thing is certain: the beauty that Daniel Bucur extracts from wood is fascinating.

In ancient Greece, the highest category of beauty was called "kalos kagathos," which translates to "beautiful and good." Beauty and truth, the exterior and interior, are interconnected. In the truly beautiful, truth and goodness always bloom. True beauty always contains more than itself; it has something transcendent.

"Kiss on top" is one of our favorite figures: pure emotion. This sensual sculpture was created with a lot of finesse and craftsmanship. Daniel Bucur reveals that behind this "kiss" was originally a worthless, partially decayed piece of walnut wood from the Leitha Mountains in Burgenland, Austria. The mouth was created purely by chance at the spot where a decayed branch protruded from the wood. The figure gains additional tension through the different surface treatment methods. It represents a connection of the imperfect with the perfect.

Rhythmus

All life follows a rhythm — from the heartbeat to the changing of the seasons. The sculpture “Rhythm” makes this universal order visible in wood. Here, Daniel Bucur works with a regular line pattern or structure that gives the eye a steady path to follow. It is the visual translation of a melody that arises directly from the grown material itself.

The work shows that harmony is born from repetition. The precise notches or wave-like movements in the wood create a dynamic that radiates both calm and motion. “Rhythm” invites viewers to find their own pace in harmony with nature. It is a work of order and vibration, showing that only through the consistency of form does the true depth of the material become visible.

Einigung

Strength emerges where separate elements grow together. The sculpture “Union” explores the principle of permanence through connection. Two branches that originally followed separate paths merge in this work into an inseparable unity. This fusion forms a stable foundation that is far more resilient than the sum of its parts.

Here, Daniel Bucur makes the architecture of nature visible: the grain patterns flow into one another and create a new, shared basis. It is a symbol of solidarity and structural strength. “Union” shows that from the joining of forces arises an unshakable calm and security — the foundation for all further growth.