Ron Kent
Kailua, Hawaii


Ritual Vessel RU
10” high x 16” diameter
Handmade on the lathe, then multiple cycles (50-60) of oiling with natural oils, sandpaper (while oily), wipe dry, allow at least one day before repeating cycle.


Thin oil-soaked, uplifted vessels turned from Norfolk pine are immediately recognized as his and his alone (though imitators appeared). No one else has his minimalist/classical sense of form. The wood itself is an important part of the content. Norfolk pine is ubiquitous in the Pacific; legend has it that Captain Cooke saw to it that this very straight tree was planted everywhere to provide masts for sailing ships. Kent, like the sage wood pioneer Wharton Esherick, seems to believe that all the wood you need can be found in your own backyard. Norfolk pine local (on Hawaii where Kent lives), renewable, and for the asking. Kent has an eye for spalting and, since he lives in the tropics, he now deep-freezes roughly turned pieces to halt the configurations where he wants them to stay. But translucency is Kent's miraculous innovation. Properly lit, his bowls glow. He can control the light by the thickness and the thinness of the walls so that the turned bowl shapes light. Kent turns light. I have seen one piece that only glows near the base. Others glow as if radioactive. The shadow of one's hand can be seen through the wood.

For Further Information Contact

Ron Kent
21 Kamani Kai Place
Kailua, HI 96734
808-263-6658
ron@ronkent.com
www.ronkent.com
Photography: Ron Kent