[Artisan Name] works in a workshop in Suzhou, surrounded by cedar, walnut, and paulownia. His objects are simple — trays, stands, boxes — but the simplicity is earned through decades of practice.
'Wood is not a static material,' he says. 'It moves. It breathes. It expands in summer and contracts in winter. A good woodworker does not fight this — they design for it.'
He uses traditional Suzhou joinery — mortise and tenon, no nails, no glue. The joints are cut to fit so precisely that they hold by friction. This technique has been used in Suzhou furniture for over 500 years.
His finishing process is equally patient. Each piece is sanded with increasingly fine paper, from 120 grit to 2000 grit, then finished with natural oil. The surface should feel like silk — warm, smooth, and alive.
'I am not making products,' he says. 'I am making objects that will be used daily for twenty years. That means they must be right — not approximately right, but exactly right. Because twenty years of daily use will reveal every flaw.'