The Development of Contemporary Woodwork
TODATE Kazuko  Craft critique, Professor at Tama Art University

If the roots of “woodwork” lies in the processing of wood by men, it is not difficult to imagine that its history dates back before Yayoi Era whose relics such as bucket-shaped vessels have been discovered. Wood working is fundamentally the product of physical processing of the material unlike earthenware requiring the process of chemical change. Some simplest forms of woodwork include cylindrical tools made of broken branches of trees. It is, therefore, quite natural that the history goes further back beyond that of ceramics whose history dates back more than a dozen thousand years. Japanese archipelago has been rich in forests with diverse species of woods. People have had created “kurimono (carving)” , “hikimono (turning)”, and then “sashimono (joinery)”, leading to the emergence of talented masters called master craftsmen active at the end of Edo Era through Meiji Era as in the other fields of handicraft.

However, as it is the case in other forms of craft, we have to wait until the 20th century or Taisho Era to find woodwork artists of hands-on expression who can represent their own ideas into the products by their own hands. In the case of Suda family, his grandfather Sōgetsu was active during the period of transition from a master of workshop to a master of hands-on art. The formal profession of woodwork artist started when Sōsui, the father of Kenji, was active, directly leading to the modern woodwork artist. Kenji is the oldest son of Sōsui and he creates his artworks of his own design. This is the very avant-garde way of production, which has lasted only 100 years or so. It led to a radical change in the conventional woodwork where the masters tended to be dependent on subcontractors called “kijishi” for lacquer work.

Suda has rarely made sketches and directly puts his ideas into the design drawings. The artist sees almost simultaneously grains on the surface of the artworks as well as shapes when making drawings. He has an image of his creation, not only the type of wood but also the grain of the specific part of the wood. For example, when the artist wants to use striped grain of maple running perpendicularly or horizontally on the rectangle plane, he needs to find a very rare maple wood with grain running not diagonally but perpendicularly to trunk of a tree. The artist’s judgment of materials and his expression are closely intertwined in his artworks. Suda sometimes makes a three-dimensional mock-up when he finds it difficult to get a precise image of his artwork in a two-dimensional drawing. Mock-ups help him make fine adjustment to the drawings. Adjustment or refinement of ideas during production is the unique feature available only in hands-on expression of an artist. Suda himself designs not only lacquer decorations such as inlaid mother-of-pearl but also metal fittings characterizing his artworks so that they fit best to the artworks. He makes them in his metal workroom located in the corner of his studio. He has pursued his sense of beauty in his products without any compromise by working on not only the core woodwork but also on lacquer wear and metal work almost by himself.

SUDA Kenji graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Kogei High School, a top school of art crafts. He is fortunate that he learned woodwork from his father Sōsui and lacquer techniques from YAMAGUCHI Shunya, his grandfather on the maternal side. His works have been selected and exhibited mainly in Japan Traditional Art Crafts Exhibition since 1975 and he was designated as a holder of important intangible cultural property (a living national treasure) in woodwork in 2014. To be certified as a living national treasure, an artist is required to have highly advanced skill and to continue creating novel artwork utilizing the skill.

What is the novelty in Suda’s work? First of all, it is the light and pure nature in his woodwork, which has traditionally been heavy and stately. His artworks made of white and shining materials like sycamore as found in the poster of the exhibition are purely bright, which is the complete innovation in woodwork art. Suda sometimes finishes his works without using lacquer, showing the brightness of wood. Second, the metal fittings made by Suda give refined novelty in his artworks. The metal fittings of sophisticated shapes and functions are designed and made for each individual artwork. They are no longer simple decorations but integral parts of his expression with definitive roles and functions. The third important component is the “structure” of the artwork. For instance, in his work of “box”, the artist is very ambitious in creating not only its outside but also inside “structures” and mechanisms. He is pursuing beauty through the excellence of internal structure of a box as well as outside beauty. This attitude of his creation compares to that of an excellent architect. He gives beauty-based order to his woodwork, both in works of large size such as writing desks and cabinets and in more familiar items such as boxes. All his artworks have built-in secured space.

Maximum use of nature and richness intrinsic in wood materials into highly contemporary and sophisticated shapes—it is the very essence of creation and development of pure and refined elegance in the woodwork of SUDA Kenji.

撮影：小林庸浩