Lucas Kost was born in 1995 in the rural town of Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba. Being raised in a family of musicians and artists fostered an early love for creative expression of various forms, including music, drawing, painting and eventually wood carving and sculpture. Lucas' grandfather Robert Kost, a renowned Manitoban painter and fiddle player, was as an important inspiration and role model in Lucas' early life. At the age of ten, Lucas received his first lesson in wood carving from family friend Marcel Desilets. These early lessons sparked a passion that has sustained to this day, as Lucas continues to develop his skill and passion as a full-time wood sculptor.

 

In October of 2022, Lucas traveled to Monte Castello, Italy to complete a two-week long intensive masterclass with the renowned Italian sculptor Bruno Walpoth. After completing this course, Lucas is fortunate to be one of very few North American artists to have studied the traditional Italian methods of sculpting the human figure in wood. 

 

Lucas' works range from wall hanging high-relief carvings, to full-round large sculptures. The wall pieces are carved in Cottonwood bark, which is harvested in a sustainable fashion from the banks of the Red & Assiniboine rivers. Many of these wall hanging pieces are inspired by the pagan legends of the Green Man and the tree spirits. Larger sculptures are first roughed in with a chainsaw, then slowly refined by hand with a mallet and chisel. Lucas' work strives to create more than just a physical representation, but to imbue the piece with a distinct sense of life, personality, and an internal subjective state.