Louis-Jan Pilaz, M.D.
Meet Dr. Pilaz
City: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Preferred medium: Sculpted wood, neurowoodworks
About me: I am a neurobiologist studying the brain. I started dabbling with woodworking about three years ago, and it really took off when I opened my Etsy shop in February 2022.
About my art:
I use various hardwoods with different colors for my pieces: oak, maple, walnut, sapele, padauk, poplar and shedua. The slabs are first prepared with a planer and a table saw. Then the most used tool in my workshop is the scroll saw that I use to cut out brain cells. I then use a variety of tools for finishes. I round edges with a router, I use a Dremel® tool to soften curves and sanding. The final sanding of my pieces is either done by hand with sandpaper or with an orbital sander. I use CA glue to connect pieces together.
What inspires you to create art?
Like Einstein imagined himself riding a particle of light, I often find myself in a trance, imagining I am inside the nervous system, witnessing the way brain cells accomplish their jobs. Trillions of these cells tirelessly work in our brain tissue to create our thoughts and personalities. What a lot of people may not know is that these cells are simply beautiful. Many of them resemble other structures found in nature, and in particular trees and other plants. For that reason, it only made sense to try to transpose the shape of brain cells to wood. Using a variety of woodworking tools, I sculpt wood to create artistic representations of these cells based on scientific knowledge. My work tries to remind people that we are biological machines full of microscopic wonders. The idea to create animals with neurons made of wood came from Jill Koss, director of Family Support Services at Cook Children’s, who is the master planner in charge of organizing the space for the Neuroart collection.