Iida Woodturning
In 2003, Shinichi and Yasue Iida left their careers in interior design to pursue woodturning as self-taught artists. They moved to Izu-Kogen – a small, scenic town nestled in Itō, Japan – where they work exclusively with a lathe, experimenting with the possibilities of a cylindrical starting point. At every turn, their work considers the Japanese concept of sabi, which explores the beauty of natural ageing. While some pieces are exposed to rain and soil to encourage the distinctive patina that they refer to as an ‘earth finish’, others are dyed via ash mordanting to create a reddish hue that will fade to brown over time.
In 2003, Shinichi and Yasue Iida left their careers in interior design to pursue woodturning as self-taught artists. They moved to Izu-Kogen – a small, scenic town nestled in Itō, Japan – where they work exclusively with a lathe, experimenting with the possibilities of a cylindrical starting point. At every turn, their work considers the Japanese concept of sabi, which explores the beauty of natural ageing. While some pieces are exposed to rain and soil to encourage the distinctive patina that they refer to as an ‘earth finish’, others are dyed via ash mordanting to create a reddish hue that will fade to brown over time.