Woodworking | Kenta Takeshige

Migration Dialogues (Sideboard)

Material: Beech Plywood, Western Red Cedar, Meranti, Pine

As a Japanese living in Belgium, the subject of migration is always on my mind. The square body of this sideboard refers to Belgian society and order, and the organic form of the legs refers to migration. The 4 legs represent 4 different ethnic groups: front-right leg are Africans, front-left leg are people from Middle East, back-right leg are Asians, and back-left leg are people from Latin America. The place where the straight and curved lines meet, is the compromise, required to adapt to the cabinet body / Belgian society.

Migration involves both conflict and harmony because of the migrant backgrounds: there is a difference of culture, religion, language and values. It brings along great challenges; for the migrant as well as for Belgium as a host country. I express roughly 4 ethnic groups here, but there are big differences between individuals even in the same group. Every single person has his or her own unique migration dialogue.

Memorial Boxes

Material: Western Red Cedar, Princess Tree (Kiri)

Japanese Kiri is a type of wood which is very difficult to find in Belgium. Wanting to have memorial boxes in Japanese Kiri, the client brought his own Kiri boxes. I dismantled the old boxes and planed various thicknesses one by one up to the required thickness. Inside construction is cedar with fine straight grain. To overcome the shortage of Kiri, I used the wood grain vertically. Boxes have Japanese traditional cord.

Memorial Box

Material: Cherry

This project is totally different from furniture restoration, it’s rather reincarnation.

I dismantled an old bed which was no longer in use in different parts and carrying out the dimensioning process by the required measurements with great care and respect for the original and its maker. I tried not to erase memories of the past but instead to harmonize the old and new life.

The hand planed surface gives a gentle touch to the inside of the box where the relics of the deceased are stored. I took an original state of a bed panel to use as a bottom panel.

Bookshelf

Material: CLS, Schalibert

More than just construction woods, part 2.

It was hard work to shave knotty pine. Thanks to those knots, the blade became easily dull so I had to sharpen again and again in order to be able to shave further. I used gouges, small Japanese compass planes, violin planes, files,... many tools I needed in order to form this round shape.