The Curator’s Eye: Deloss Webber, Sculptor

Pondering the boundaries between what is art and what is craft, I’ve found that ultimately they speak the same language, each embracing and incorporating qualities that nurture the other. Kirkland artist Deloss Webber’s connection to his art begins with his connection to stone. His sculptural works are immediate reminders of the beauty that is inherent in the natural world. Webber collects rocks of varying sizes and types, choosing each one for its individual color, texture and markings. He then adds to the stone’s character by manipulating its surface and enhances it further by intricately weaving it in fibers such as cane, bamboo and reed. The fiber fits so seamlessly onto the body of the stone that it seems to have always been there. Webber has an ongoing interest in Japanese basketry and a deep connection to the environment. He learned rattan weaving from his mother while growing up in northern Africa and Spain. He finds constant nourishment in cultures and places beyond his own boundaries. —PATRICIA ROVZAR