More than a sensei. More than a studio. "Artists and craftspeople alike often feel some sort of deep connection with the materials with which they create. There are certain materials that can inspire us to think about more than just ourselves. The way grain in a piece of wood flows in and out creating the most magnificent and unexpected patterns. The way ceramics can have those rich, beautiful colors from the intensity of fire dancing through a kiln. They provide both makers and their users with a lifetime of fascination and discovery. I can’t remember when I first came [...]

''Hi! My name is Hugh and I am a Taiwanese-American currently studying urushi in Japan with artist Nagatoshi Onishi. My background is in fine furniture and prior to coming to Japan I studied at The Krenov School in California. My good friend and mentor Joe Amaral opened up the world of urushi to me and I fell in love ever since. Joe specializes in stunning decorative surfaces, but my personal interest has always been more in form. Choosing to study with Onishi sensei was about more than just learning urushi techniques. I was seeking his guidance to help [...]

Seerp Visser was born in 1943 and educated in mechanical engineering (Ing, MsC). From 1964 - 1990 he worked for major petrochemical oil companies as Aramco Saudi Arabia and Shell and also for his own company, which later extended to the "Piscator" group of companies, as an engineer. From 1990 he educated as a blacksmith and was employed by the Belgian blacksmith Idir Mecibah for a couple years. Then he became a teacher for blacksmithing at the Royal Academy of Art in Antwerp. He is now a blacksmith specialized for the restoration of metal objects and studies the forging methods [...]