Robert Bader Wood Sculpture

Exquisite wood sculptures. Even if you just want to look and not buy, stop by this place. In a world of mass produced stuff, we all need to see true art now and then.

I have one of these great pieces of art created by Mr. Bader. The workmanship is superb. The designs are unique. The shop is a little harder to find. The workshop/​gallery is in the same location at 3890 Hanapepe Road (near Little Fish Coffee) but it is now down the hallway. Becky (Also the Art of Marbling) is a local gem who will help you buy something unique. None of the products are sold elsewhere on Kauai.

I was just there at Robert Bader’s Gallery January 2015. Beautiful work, translucent pieces of New Zealand Norfolk Island Pine. You can see these trees all over the island. I agree with all that Dane H. said in 2007. So Robert is still doing great work. He is a hidden gem in a small artist community. Both Becky and Robert were delightful. Becky’s work is quite beautiful, too. Especially the broiling waves and the river of fire. (My descriptive words.)

On vacation on Kauai, I came across Mr. Bader’s wood sculpture in a little gallery on the main drag in Hanapepe that he shares with his wife, Becky Wold who does marbled paper and fabrics. Hopefully they will « Unilocal» the actual address, but you cant miss it. It’s between the old hotel and little market opposite the Aloha Theatre.
Ms. Wold was in the gallery, and her work looked nice, but it was the turned bowls, vases and platters of her husband that caught my eye. Mr. Bader has an excellent sense of design and proportion. I like very simple, modern forms and his turnings reminded me of what exotic woods would look like in the hands of Eva Zeisel or George Nelson. He uses local woods and his pieces sometimes take 6 months from conception to completion. The first turning takes to wood down to 1″ thickness, where it is allowed to dry and cure for 6 months before the final turning, when thicknesses as minimal as 1/​8″ are achieved. The lighter colored wood he uses is even translucent. He had a large non-​functional platter that would make a cool wall hanging with a light behind it. These are not salad bowls!
The pieces are not cheap but considering the work involved and the beauty of the design, I would consider them a very good value. I’ve seen a lot of wood carving on the Islands over the years, and this is by far the finest I’ve seen – the difference between a craftsman and an artist. I’ll save my sheckels for my next visit to Kauai!