Anatolii Solodiakov explains his wood carvings

"When I take a piece of wood and begin to work on it – to make a box or a vase or whatever I imagine – it’s not yet clear what the final result will be, because the image only gradually becomes sharper. On this wooden box, I depict characteristic scenes from the life of the Chavchuven. These are the Koryak people who live with their reindeer in the tundra and in the mountains. When I turn to these motifs, I don’t make any sketches. I just take the wood and start carving. I carve these small figures directly into the wood. Often you see artists who have something special in mind spend a lot of time making sketches and drafts. But too much time is used on such preparations. I do it the other way around. I start right away with the actual, living piece of work, which I find more interesting."

Recorded by Erich Kasten. Palana, 2002.