EXTRAORDINARY ‘MEN OF WOOD’
I once met a man who signed his last will and testament, ‘Man of the Wood’.
The eccentric recluse lived in semi-squalor among an accumulation of magazines, books and newspapers in a broken-down shack at the end of an abandoned scrap timber and metal yard. I thank him for inspiring this modest blog …
From a lifetime of involvement with wood and the people who use it, I have chosen just two men (both originally from Asia) whose vision and understanding of the material has truly touched my heart, above all others.
This is not to dismiss great timber architecture – who could ever forget Jürgen Mayer-Hermann’s Metropol Parasol in Seville, or Japan’s 1300-year-old Hōryū-ji temple?
But when it comes to interpreting the special magic of wood and the simplicity of thought behind their creativity, my heroes are just two: a master carver from Malaysia, and an ebullient Taiwan-born New York architect and hospitality designer.
Wan Mustafa Su, Amn – known from royalty down as ‘Wan Po’ – is something of a rock star among Malaysia’s traditional carvers. The day we met he was moving quietly around his workshop, offering gentle guidance to his senior staff and students. He struggled to understand my English – until we began talking about his ‘relationship’ with wood. His eyes lit up and his artist’s hands began shaping the words to follow. There definitely was a little magic in the air!
“Most times when I carve, it is like talking to the wood. Sometimes it feels like the wood talks back to me and asks me a question. It ‘tells’ me when it has to be carved. It is something I have known since I was a small boy.”
In a world where so many traditional skills are disappearing, it is heartening that the work and wisdom of people like Wan Po is appreciated and will live on through his pupils and benefactors.
At the other end of the design and personality spectrum we find the bald, bespectacled and infectiously expressive Tony Chi who grew up from the age of six in the tough streets of New York’s Lower East Side.
The self-confessed “control freak perfectionist” is widely acknowledged as a master of hospitality design. He also has a ‘mistress’ – wood. I have interviewed him twice and listened to him at conferences on several occasions. It can take a while to get on to his wavelength – some never make it – but if you get there it really is an invigorating experience.
From behind his funky glasses his eyes shine with passion and enthusiasm, and his penchant for expressive poses and extravagant head movement add to the theatre that is Mr Chi in full cry about design – and the challenges of working with wood.
He describes learning to design with wood as “negotiating with nature. Wood is such a simple material – such a simple word. Yet it is so complex; so pure. Every piece of wood is unique. And just like us humans, it has heart,” he said with a grin, obviously satisfied with the pun.
He believes more designers should take on the energy and resonance that wood adds to a project. “Every interaction with the material is a new experience … even a little thing like a wooden door knob: it has its own patina and also leads you from one environment to another.
“Wood is very inspirational material, but sometimes we have to think about it for a while before we decide what to do with it.” (Shades of Wan Po.)
Chi also espouses ‘invisible design’ – a technique that ‘touches’ more than is ‘seen’. But that’s another story.
Meanwhile, I leave you with the wisdom of Albert Einstein: “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.”
Images ©Tony Neilson