Materials: Western red cedar
By holding your hands cupped tightly together, like Brent Comber did when he envisioned his Bowl Series, you create a shape that has a history rich in cultural significance. This vessel, carved from your hands, is where the bowl originates.
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A bowl is designed to contain, and it has been used to serve food or drink for thousands of years. Yet the bowl represents much more than a simple vessel that holds our nourishment; it stores knowledge, and it is with this knowledge that the spirit of community is sustained. The sheer ingenuity of the bowl has become a cultural symbol, embodying emptiness while also symbolizing possibility.
The first bowl in this series was sculpted from one of Canada’s oldest trees, donated by Capilano Suspension Bridge, and it sets the tone for the series. The bowl aspires to honour the historic wood while also acknowledging the traditions of the past. By looking back in time, we realize that the bowl has a modern, elegant form that has not changed much over the years, evoking feelings of nostalgia and belonging. The bowl was once the centre of community, where harvests were gathered, feasts were shared, and stories were told.
