Jakob Wainshtein
Wood Sculpture
" The women in my life - first my mother and my sister, followed by my wife and daughter – have made a deep and lasting impression on me and are an integral part of who I am. I was always in awe of the energy I felt that they radiated; one that is difficult to describe with words. I have always been enamored with the beauty of the feminine and the female form, and it is the main inspiration for my work. To me, wood is the ideal medium through which to express the beauty of the female body. Its natural textures, tones, and soft lines perfectly convey a beauty that is otherwise ineffable.
My work is truly an expression of love and I hope that others find as much meaning in it as I do. "
- Jakob Wainshtein
Jakob Wainshtein is a Renaissance man, born in 1944 in Stalingrad, Russia. He graduated from high school in 1961 in Vilnius, Lithuania. This was where he first honed his woodcarving skills while building hand-made glider aircrafts. In 1968, Jakob graduated with a Master’s Degree in Spacecraft and Missile Engineering with high honors from the Moscow University of Aviation, one on the best universities in Russia.
Jakob led an illustrious 40 year long career as a spaceship and missile engineer, during which he achieved several patents and inventions and received several awards. Throughout his life, Jakob’s ingenuity and insatiable thirst for adventure led him to a wide and eclectic variety of hobbies, which include artistic and underwater photography, scuba diving, underwater archaeology, piloting, and skydiving. Wood carving, which began as a helpful tool for modeling and prototyping for his engineering projects, turned into a lifelong hobby and ultimate passion. Beyond carving sculptures, Jakob designs and builds much of his own carving tools and in-home studio.
Currently, Jakob is concentrating full time on his art, which showcases the natural sensuality and beauty of the female form in the organic medium of wood.