Wood sculptor Stefan Käser Niederndorferberg - A passion for wood

A life dedicated to carving

Crackling can be heard at the back of the room. Cosy warmth. It smells like wood. A step into the room. Quiet crunching. Wood shavings. The whole ground is littered with them. And in the middle of everything is Stefan Käser. With a carved cow in his hand. Immersed in his passion. Carving.

From a seal to a master craftsman

For 39 years Stefan Käser's favourite place has been his workshop. He can create true masterpieces from a simple piece of wood. Cows. Horses. Mangers. Madonnas. Crosses. Even as a young boy Stefan Käser was fascinated by how a figure could be carved from a piece of wood that could just as easily have landed in the fire. He started carving. He still has a little seal that he carved back then. Coincidence helped him pursue his fascination and make it into his career. His uncle had a connection at the Lech Valley Elbigenalp wood carving school. Although his parents weren't overly enthusiastic at the start, Stefan Käser started his training there, learnt to model, to draw and to carve a lifelike figure from a piece of wood. Today he's a sculptor with a master craftsman's diploma.

Carved to life

For his work Stefan Käser uses the colouring and characteristics of various woods. Linden. Pine. Nut. Cherry. Apple. Pear. The farmers in the area let Stefan Käser know when they have suitable wood. Many of the figures of Christ, crosses, cows and horses land back in the lounges of these farmers. But before the wood is transformed, for example, into a cow, Stefan Käser sits for a long time in the stall and models the figure true to the original with modelling clay. Only when he's happy with the model does he sit down at the carving table. The modelling clay animal figure is always in sight. At the moment the Niederndorf resident is working on a coat of arms for a hotel. A task that doesn't take him long. Even as he talks he's working on various levels of wood with his tools. With every wood shaving that falls to the floor the figure on the piece of wood becomes clearer.

Looking over his shoulder

Stefan Käser doesn't really know what it is about wood carving that he likes so much. "Carving is simply my life." Right after his master's certificate the carver started working as a freelancer, and at 21 opened his workshop. His little kingdom, which smells of wood and in the cold season is filled with the cosy warmth of the tiled stove. Cows stand on the shelves. One after the other. Various sized crosses hang on the walls. Stefan Käser puts down the coat of arms and picks up a small Christmas manger. It looks modern. Smooth. With the distinctive grain of the wood. Mary. Joseph. Baby Jesus. Simple. But that's exactly what's so fascinating. It's a completely different world, and Stefan Käser invites visitors to look over his shoulder.

Look over their shoulders