Alexander Grabovetskiy (born July 4, 1973) is a Russian-American Master wood carver.
Grabovetskiy was recognized as the 2012 International Wood Carver of the year, and his piece Wall Decoration was awarded first place. His work utilizes the same approaches used for centuries by master woodcarvers, including techniques employed by Grinling Gibbons.[1][2]
In 2015 Alexander Grabovetskiy was Editors' Choice to be Awarded with Woodworking Excellence in category: Turnings, Carvings & Objets d’Art by Popular Woodworking Magazine.
Biography
editGrabovetskiy was born on July 4, 1973, in the Russian town of Dimitrovgrad. His grandfather taught him basic woodcarving techniques at six-years old, and at 16 he was taken on as an apprentice by renowned carver Vladimir Tokarev.[1][2]
Due to his faith and his refusal to enlist in the Soviet Armed Forces, Grabovetskiy was imprisoned by the Soviet authorities. He was freed after two years as part of an Amnesty International campaign for prisoners of faith incarcerated by the USSR. In prison he began a business making furniture and kitchen sets, and finding no work upon his release at the age of 21 years, he continued on to run his own woodworking enterprise.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8]
In 1996, Grabovetskiy immigrated as a political refugee to the United States together with his wife Nadia and their 10-month-old son. The woodworking and custom home building business that he established in Goshen, Indiana, Aalmark LLC, employed a number of expert craftsmen who were also Christian refugees from the former Soviet Union. He currently works in South Florida.[2][3][4]
Teaching
editGrabovetskiy teaches woodcarving online and in person at various woodcarving schools.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ a b c "International woodcarver of the year 2012". Woodworkers Institute. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- ^ a b c "Wood Carvings by Alexander Grabovetskiy". atwoodwork.com. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- ^ a b Lee Harrold (1998). "Immigrant establishes woodworking firm". The Goshen News.
- ^ a b "Here's My Woodcarving!". Vol. 95. Wood News Online. July 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- ^ "CLASSICAL WOOD CARVING WITH ALEXANDER GRABOVETSKIY". Camden Public Library. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Carving with conflict". 292-NOV/DEC 2021 Issue.Fine Woodworking magazine. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ "we talk to Alexander Grabovetskiy about his work and his woodcarving school". GMC Publications. WoodCarving Magazine. Issue 180. 4 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "Alexander Grabovetskiy". Bob Easton. Grinling Gibbons Photos. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.