Over the years, I’ve developed a unique artistic style centered around wooden 3D maps, highly detailed, multilayered wall art pieces that capture the character of cities and landscapes through tactile form. Every map I create is both a study of structure and a celebration of place, crafted by hand using natural materials and thoughtful design. My creative path has led me through many interpretations of cities like Paris, Warsaw, or Tokyo, each carved into wood, layered with precision, and often left in natural or earth-toned finishes to highlight the organic beauty of the material.
However, as with any artistic journey, there comes a moment when curiosity calls for change, for bold experimentation. This latest project was born out of such a moment. I wanted to create something entirely different from my previous works. Something more enigmatic, more luxurious, a map that didn't just represent a place, but evoked a mood. A piece that would go beyond topography and step into the world of visual storytelling through light, contrast, and illusion.
A Bold Concept: Black Meets Gold
The idea for this New York map came from a desire to break away from the expected. Instead of the natural tones and familiar wood grains I usually work with, I envisioned a dramatic, high-contrast color scheme, a bold black surface with gleaming gold highlights. New York City, with its iconic grid layout and the powerful symbolism it holds, felt like the perfect subject for this experiment. I wanted the city to emerge from the wood like a hidden treasure, at once visible and concealed, flat and dimensional.
The materials were chosen carefully to support this vision. The base of the map was constructed from multiple layers of precisely cut plywood, each representing different physical and symbolic layers of the city. The first layer formed the general shape of New York and its river channels. A second, elevated layer depicted the intricate network of streets, especially those in Manhattan, which became the centerpiece of the composition.
To bring the concept to life, I used a special Japanese black ink known for its deep pigmentation and subtle sheen. The result is a black that’s more than just a color — it behaves like a surface in itself, absorbing and reflecting light in ways that add depth and texture. For the golden layer underneath, I used delicate gold leaf — individually applied sheets that shimmer with even the slightest movement of light. This choice was about more than color; it was about creating an experience of luxury and mystery.
The Art of Optical Illusion
One of the most important aspects of this project was playing with perspective, both physical and conceptual. At first, I considered making the entire map black, with only the river rendered in gold, flowing like molten lava through the city. Then I imagined reversing it, letting the streets shine in gold, laid out like a glowing web across a black backdrop. But both concepts felt a bit too obvious. I wanted something more ambiguous, something that would shift depending on how the viewer engages with it.
So, I made the bold decision to use gold as a background layer, placing the black-painted streets above it. The result is a captivating visual illusion. When viewed straight on, the black layer appears dominant, but the gold underneath peeks through the gaps, creating a vivid contrast and a sense of energy beneath the surface. But when viewed from a sharper angle, the raised black street layer blocks the gold from view, making the map appear almost entirely black. It’s only in certain areas, where the spacing is wider or the viewer's position shifts, that flashes of gold reappear. This duality adds a kinetic dimension to the piece: the city reveals itself and conceals itself depending on how it’s approached.
This play between light, texture, and shadow gives the piece a mysterious, almost interactive quality. It’s a map that’s not only seen but discovered, slowly, over time, as the eye adjusts to its visual depth. It invites the viewer to come closer, to explore, to change perspective, just like the city it represents.
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g the Vision: A Final Touch of Elegance
To bring the entire project together, I designed a custom frame that would elevate the piece without overpowering it. The frame is solid, deep black, echoing the dominant tones of the map, and is finished with a subtle gold ornament running along the inner edge. This detail adds cohesion to the overall composition, creating a visual link between the interior map and its boundary. It also reinforces the sense of this being a refined, finished artwork, not just a decorative object, but a complete artistic statement.
This map of New York marks a new direction in my work. It’s still rooted in the craftsmanship and attention to detail that define my wooden maps, but it pushes beyond the expected, embracing contrast, illusion, and abstraction. It is, in many ways, a portrait of New York itself: bold, complex, layered, and always changing depending on how you look at it.
Through this project, I’ve discovered a new visual language, one that I hope to explore further in future works. It’s a reminder that even within the familiar, there’s always room for mystery, for luxury, and for surprise.
