One of 5 life-sized figures sculpture for a Dubai Mall

Who is the Sign Carver?

A Graphic designer by trade, Ivan Hunter bravely left the humdrum of his advertising career in 1994 to pursue his passion of sculpture and carving. In the transition from pixels to woodchips, Ivan showed great talent and craftsmanship and eventually decided to launch the Sign Carver business.

Since then, the Sign Carver has never looked back and this year, we celebrate 22 years in this exciting trade.

The Sign Carver lives by his mantra "Follow your joy" and by the looks of it, he's always happiest amongst a pile of woodchips.

One of 5 life-sized figures for a Dubai Mall

In process, one of five life-sized figures carved by Ivan as part of a themed environment constructed and installed by MTE Cape Town, for the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai.

The Sign Carver, provides a large variety of sculptures in different mediums. Wooden sculptures and wall panels are mostly suitable for an indoor situation.

For an outdoor situation, sculptures and wall panels cast in bronze or cement are most suitable.

In process, one of 5 life-sized figures carved by Ivan as part of a themed environment constructed by MTE Cape Town, for the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai.

Sculpture

Sculpture is the main passion and driving force behind the Sign Carver, who can often be found ankle-deep in woodchips, trying to find that wonderful third dimension in a chunk of wood or stone.

In addition, the Sign Carver has extensive experience with casting of sculptures in bronze, cement and resin and collaborates with mould makers and foundries.

Not sure which material to choose? We will happily advise you on the best application to suit your particular project.

Wood sculpture.

Wood, unlike clay, has a special beauty in its grain, colour and warmth which the Sign Carver is drawn to. The Sign Carver has works in many sizes and has sculptures scattered around South Africa and the globe.

Do you have a piece of wood in mind for a sculpture? A wood with a very marked grain pattern is more suitable for simple shapes as the pattern will detract from features on a detailed piece of work. For detailed work such as figures and faces, a timber, either dark or light, with a feint grain is best as the detail won’t be overpowered by the grain pattern.