The Wound That Precedes Me
This sculpture is not carved from a single block, but constructed by joining three distinct pieces of reclaimed wood. The act of assembling them, and then violently splitting the head vertically, became the central gesture of the work.
The Wound That Precedes Me explores the idea that our deepest fractures pre-exist us. The piece speaks of a wound that is not only the result of experience, but a condition that precedes the formation of the self. The two halves of the face — different in expression and texture — coexist in an unstable unity, as if they belonged to two parallel identities struggling within the same body.
By using reclaimed wood and assembling separate fragments, the sculpture itself becomes a metaphor: we are not born whole, but built from pieces that carry their own histories, cracks, and memories. The raw cut through the head does not seek reconciliation; it exposes the tension and the beauty of the broken.
In this sense, the work aligns with Deleuze’s notion of the event and the scar as a productive surface — a place where meaning is generated precisely because of the fracture. What we call identity may be nothing more than the continuous negotiation with a wound that was already there before we arrived.
wood
56 x 26 x 20 cm
If this piece resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What wounds do you carry that preceded you? Feel free to leave a comment below or send me a message.
