[Metalwork: Ren Nakane] The crystallization of passion

Mount Daimonji towers northeast of Kyoto.

This mountain has been loved by people since ancient times and is famous nationwide for the Gozan no Okuribi bonfires.

A clear clang can be heard echoing through the residential area at the foot of the mountain.

The person making the sound is Ren Nakane.

Using a technique called hammering, metal plates are hammered together to gradually create a shape.

The workshop, which is based on a white color scheme, is softly bright with light coming in through the windows, and the works lined up there glow quietly, bathed in light.

Hammer marks remain on the polished copper and brass surfaces, and the reflected light makes it seem as if time itself has been crystallized.

Forging involves heating metal, cooling it, and hammering it - an endless process that is repeated over and over again.

The sight of the metal being heated with a burner, with the flames flickering, is very impressive.

When Nakane takes up the hammer and strikes the metal, a high-pitched sound is heard and the flat board gradually transforms into a three-dimensional object.

It was as if the metal was beginning to come to life.

It is said that even if you rush, it takes three days to complete one drip pot.

The principle is simple and easy to understand intellectually.

Still, no matter how many times I see it, it's amazing how a simple metal plate can be transformed into a beautiful shape with just a hammer .

The more you use metal, the more its appearance changes.

The changes are like memories that are engraved into the user's life.

When I asked Nakane why he was wearing gloves while handling his works, he quietly explained:

"Even the oil from your hands can change the look of the metal. So even though I'm the one who made it, I don't touch the finished piece with my bare hands. I want the customer to be the first to touch the finished piece."

Nakane's hands create items that are close to our daily lives, such as kettles, drip pots, and lighting.

However, these cannot be fully described as "tools."

Although the metal is supposed to be inorganic, the warmth of the maker is certainly present.

The hammer marks engraved on the surface are a record of the time spent facing and talking with the metal.

We think about the people who use our products and support their lifestyles.

That feeling is put into every shot.

Outside the window, the wind caresses the mountainside, gently rustling the leaves on the trees.

Today, too, the sound of hammering metal can be heard echoing at the foot of Mount Daimonji.