Custom Carving

This is the eternal origin of art- that a human being confronts a form that wants to become a work through him….What is required is a deed that a man does with his whole being: If he commits it and speaks with his being the basic word to the form appears, then the creative power is released and the work comes into being.
-Martin Buber, I and Thou

In the spirit of Hiddur Mitzvah, beautifying of the commandments, Custom Carving offers innovative design in wood, glass, metal, and stone for the home and synagogue. All of our work is designed to last for generations, with an attention to the use of only the highest quality materials, joinery and detail work. Each piece is one of a kind, produced by hand by a team of highly qualified professionals, headed by the artist Gabriel Bass. Custom Carving is ready to work with you to help find the most meaningful gifts, practical solutions, and awe inspiring work to suit your needs and budget.

About the Artist

Gabriel Bass has over 12 years of experience developing Custom Carving. Trained as a totem pole carver on the Musqueam reserve in Canada, he soon focused his attention on individually carved Judaica and Synagogue furnishings. He made aliyah, and went on to study glass at the Bezalel School for Art and Design in Jerusalem. He prides his work on craftsmanship and timeless style that is continually being developed into a unique form.

The Studios

Built from the ground up, Custom Carving found its home in a 300 meter state of the art shop situated in the Jerusalem foothills.  The public is always welcome by appointment to check out the most recent work, catch a glass demo, or discuss a future project. 

Solid Wood

Custom Carving specializes in the use of solid wood.  Because the material is essentially alive special attention must be given to the choice of joinery.  Rare to find such craftsmanship today, with proper design specifications a solid wood furnishing can last for generations.  The unique quality of our work rests in the details and carving work, carefully planed and executed by Gabriel to suit each individual project.

Glass

Gabriel has developed for Custom Carving some of the most innovate techniques and joinery for combining glass with wood sculpture and furnishings.  Custom Carving employs both hot and warm glass techniques to manipulate glass.  Glass blowing and kiln bending techniques are used to create larger forms such as sculpture and lighting, while torch worked Effrete and borosilicate are relied upon for decoration, hardware, and smaller works.