[Metalworker: Ren Nakane Interview Part 1] Dialogue with the material

- First of all, please tell us what made you interested in the world of metalwork.

My father is a ceramic artist and my mother is a dyer and weaver, so I was always surrounded by craftsmanship from a young age.

I myself love making things, and studied sculpture when I was a student.

I wanted to work in manufacturing in the future, but what materials did I want to use to make things?

This point was not clear to me either.

After graduating, I was just wandering around Tokyo.

I was also interested in making large-scale objects, and through my experience working part-time as a stage builder, I came to realize that I was suited to making objects on a scale that I could make by myself.

At that time, I happened to come across a job posting at a metalwork workshop.

Starting to work in this workshop was the beginning of my daily life working with metal.

--So it all started with a chance encounter.

I agree.

I was assigned to a workshop that creates products based on the concept of traditional Japanese techniques and materials, and was in the department that makes wedding rings using the metalworking technique (hammering metal to create shapes).

There are several fields in the world of metalwork, including casting (pouring the metal into a mold), engraving (carving and decorating), and hammering, but my fascination with hammering began at this workshop.

I loved making things and I prided myself on being fairly dexterous, but metal was different from the materials I had worked with up until then, and it was difficult to get the results I wanted.

That "things not going as planned" actually fueled my enthusiasm.

*The process of heating metal

- What do you mean by "things don't go as planned"?

Metal cannot be reshaped with bare hands.

Whether bending or cutting, a tool must always be used.

In other words, in order to handle materials, you first need the skills and knowledge to handle tools.

This is where I experienced failure.

I was frustrated that I couldn't do things that my seniors could do so easily.

This experience became a springboard for me to become more and more absorbed in the sport.

As you become proficient with the tools, the hard metal will gradually begin to change shape according to your own will.

At that moment, I felt like the world had suddenly expanded.

*The heated metal is cooled and then hammered into shape.

- What is the appeal of metal as a material to you?

I work with non-ferrous metals, such as copper, brass, aluminum, silver, and gold.

These metals do not decay easily and will retain their shape far longer than your life.

It's a little scary in the sense that what you create will remain, but I also think it's a big attraction.

I think one of the characteristics of metals is that there is almost no individual difference between metals of the same type.

Metals were originally minerals that lay dormant in the earth.

It is then excavated, refined, and turned into materials.

Modern refining technology is so advanced that there is very little variation.

For example, even if the wood is the same species, the grain and color of each piece of wood will vary.

However, in the case of metal, it is first processed into a material, so there is no difference between two copper plates when comparing them.

This may seem like an uninteresting material, but it is precisely because there are no individual differences that the traces and intentions of the maker are clearly visible on the surface as designs.

I think that is one of the charms of metal as a material.

- I heard that you are particular about your workshop and tools.

I agree.

The studio was renovated by myself.

The age of the building is unknown, but it is believed to be over 100 years old.

I heard that at one time it was a greengrocer and at another time it was a furniture store warehouse.

I like old things, so I'm drawn to stories like this.

The most important thing during the renovation was to make it comfortable to work in.

This does not just mean good flow of work, but also a space where you can maintain your own mood.

We installed large windows and planted plants in the garden so that when you look up you can feel the change of time and seasons, as well as the light and breeze.

Some of the tools were given to me by craftsmen I know.

If properly maintained, they can be used for a lifetime, and the tools themselves are filled with "history" and "feelings."

When you get something like that, you naturally stand up straight.

The second part will be released tomorrow.