Studio Kuku Reveals its Wooden Heart
In Komoro, a village encircled by greenery, the Tani family designs furniture and wooden objects in keeping with the surrounding forest.
© 2009 Kyoko Tani
All around there are forests, hot springs, and temples. We are in the region of Nagano, at the foot of mount Asama, in the small town of Komoro. It is in this dream-like landscape that the husband-and-wife team, the Tanis, have established their design studio, Studio Kuku.
Keeping the spirit of wood alive
Ku refers to the spirit of the tree in the Nihon Shoki, a classical Japanese text published in 720. Kuku is thus a reference to the multitude of wood that is used by the artisans of Studio Kuku to create furniture, wooden tableware, and other accessories.
Imbued with the animist tradition specific to Shintoism, the couple explains that the spirit of the tree is transferred to the person who creates the object, and then on to the person who uses it. According to them, the new owners of their creations will therefore keep the spirit of wood alive in turn.
Studio Kuku’s creations can be found on their website, Instagram page, or in their studio.
Address: 4741 Amaike , Komoro City, Nagano 384-0021 Japan.
© 2018 Kyoko Tani
©2017 Kyoko Tani
© 2007 Kyoko Tani
© 2007 Kyoko Tani
TRENDING
-
Hiroshi Nagai's Sun-Drenched Pop Paintings, an Ode to California
Through his colourful pieces, the painter transports viewers to the west coast of America as it was in the 1950s.
-
A Craft Practice Rooted in Okinawa’s Nature and Everyday Landscapes
Ai and Hiroyuki Tokeshi work with Okinawan wood, an exacting material, drawing on a local tradition of woodworking and lacquerware.
-
The Tattoos that Marked the Criminals of the Edo Period
Traditional tattoos were strong signifiers; murderers had head tattoos, while theft might result in an arm tattoo.
-
David Bowie Dressed by Kansai Yamamoto
The English singer was strongly influenced by 'kabuki' theatre and charged the Japanese designer with creating his costumes in the 1970s.
-
‘Seeing People My Age or Younger Succeed Makes Me Uneasy’
In ‘A Non-Conformist’s Guide to Surviving Society’, author Satoshi Ogawa shares his strategies for navigating everyday life.
