The exhibition Threshold of the designer Yuval Buchshtab deals with local raw material that he gathers himself. In his work he researches the life span of a tree from growth to felling, and from there the continuation of the life of organisms in the body until it decomposes. The organic processes, the parasites and trauma of felling all influence the look and character of the wood. Buchsthab designs and makes vessels in dialog with the raw material and the organic imprint that it carries.
Threshold marks the border where the process of change takes place – the crossing point where the end and beginning occur simultaneously. The vessels made by Buchshtab are a lens to observe the patterns of change in the wood – the decomposition, trauma and organic processes that redesign the raw material.
The series of works presented in the exhibition show the decomposition process and internal battle in the wood. Fungus, pests, water, and sun cause cracks and erosion – and together they create an aesthetic of destruction.
Yuval Buchshtav has been working in wood for over 15 years but 5 years ago he decided to stop buying imported raw materials and to focus on local wood that he gathers himself. According to him, this decision opened a new and fascinating world of material research. He mentions that the knowledge of local wood of the land of Israel is very basic and does not include the process of decomposition, which led him to learn and investigate the material by practical making in the studio.
Buchshtav collects wood in different parts of Israel, collecting local varieties and giving them an aesthetic expression in his making. According to him, he does craft that is based on imperfection and flaws, using natural processes of the tree dealing with pests, fungi and trauma, he deals with death and cycles in crystalizing his aesthetic language based on decomposition itself.
In the process of wood decomposition, fungi create white patches, the first sign of decay, which with time develop into black lines when the fungi break down the tree and the timber. The fungi destroy the walls of the cells of the tree and excretes an enzyme the hardens the material and emphasizes the outline of the fungi. In this way there is a demarcation of the areas that have been broken down and those that remain natural. The line marks the battle between the fungus and the tree. Buchshtav explains there are two parallel processes: “cracking as a result of the drying of the wood and fungi and pests that actively break it down, feeding off it and changing its structure”.
One of the expressions of these processes is the phenomenon of ambrosia which is visible in one of the oak tree bowls. This phenomenon occurs when a beetle carrying fungus bores into the tree and then settles inside it. The fungus creates black spots and a halo around and the grey area of the wood is a result of this process. As a reaction to the invasion, the tree changes color, the rings become darker and the structure changes over time.
With the events of the 7 October and the ongoing war, Buchshtab contends with moments of breakdown and pain. He was born and raised on Kibbutz Nirim in the Gaza settlement area (he now lives in Kfar Vitkin). His brother Yegev Buchshtab was kidnapped and killed in captivity in Gaza. Even before the war, he would wonder in the burnt fields and observe how the fire and destruction became the material language of the area. From tragedy and longing he returns to collect wood from his childhood environment, which is now so hostile. In his words, the final result of his work is always aesthetic, since aesthetics is a tool for him to soften the examination of pain. For him, the decomposition continues the cycle: All is a material cycle – all men and phenomena are in a continual process of change.
Yuval Buchshtav has an independent studio in Kfar Vitkin focusing on design using local wood. He is a graduate of the Industrial Design department, Bezalel Art and Design Academy, Jerusalem (2022). His work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions as well as design fairs such as Fresh Paint (2023).
The Small Gallery
Curators: Reut Rabuah, Shelly Shavit
Opening: Thursday, 10/4/25, 19:30
Gallery talk: Friday, 25/04/2025, 11:30
Closing: Saturday, 24/5/25, 14:00
Journalism:
Yuval Buchshtab: Threshold, MutualArt
