Dialogue - Chikuni -

Takeshi Awaya of Chikuni held an exhibition at Utsushiki in January 2022.

The things he creates are simple, yet have the depth of antiques, and they have the power to make you feel as if "that was the only thing that was there," whether in a new or old house, in your daily life or on the stage.
As you know, there are "classics" in Chikuni's works that many people desire. What kind of person is it who creates something that combines freedom and solidity?

In this third interview with Utsushiki, we began by talking about the current state of turmoil in society as a whole, and then asked Awaya about his thoughts as he enters his 16th year since becoming independent.

We hope you enjoy!

What changes, what doesn't change

Thank you Awaya.

Awaya: Thank you.

First of all, what have the past two years been like?

Awaya: I can say this now, but I went to France to buy goods in March 2020. It was right when the COVID-19 pandemic first started, and although people around me tried to discourage me from going because I didn't know what to do, I thought to myself, "There might not be any buyers," so I decided to go with a positive attitude.

It was a very close call.

Awaya: At the time, events with more than 5,000 people were canceled in France, so the market I went to was deserted. I remember somehow managing to pack as much as I could into my carry-on luggage and bring it back home.

After that, the impact of the COVID-19 virus started to be felt in earnest around the world, but has anything changed or stayed the same for Chikuni?

Awaya: In recent years, Chikuni itself has found that the word "woodworking" no longer fits the concept, so we've started calling it "making interior decorations." Perhaps this, combined with the fact that people are spending more time indoors and have started spending more money on interior design, has meant that we've actually been receiving more orders than ever before.

I see!

Awaya: Yes. I'm very grateful that I'm still doing it, but the amount I make has doubled. Of course, selling and getting money is important, but if I focus too much on that, it will affect my style and lifestyle. I'm getting older, after all.

No, no, you're still young.

Awaya: But the past two years since COVID-19 have really made us think about how we should move forward as Chikuni. At the very least, it has given us an opportunity to think about that.

About "Standard"

Looking at your work again now, I feel that chikuni's works in general have a kind of "minimal intention of not being too assertive." Is there anything you are conscious of in this regard?

Awaya: Decorations are meant to decorate something, right? If it's lighting, it's meant to illuminate something. I think that the classic items I'm making now are fine as supporting roles. I want them to be tools that enhance the things they're displaying.

Speaking of "classic".

Awaya: Our aim with "classics" is to make something that anyone can use, and that everyone can use. Otherwise there's no point in calling it a "classic." But it's actually quite difficult to create a "classic."

I imagine that in a way it's about suppressing the creator's impulses and individuality, but were you able to get started on this project easily?

Awaya: Of course there were times when I was worried. I thought about what kind of people I wanted to buy my products. But I've come to terms with it. Maybe I can do that because I started out as a furniture store owner. Furniture stores exist because they have a lot of "standards." Chikuni is also supported by the very standards, and thanks to them, I think I'm able to make things that I like and things that only I can make.

Even so, I think that "anyone can use it" is not as easy as it sounds. Including the reality that while expanding the range of people to whom the work is delivered, it is also reaching the hands of people who are particular about their choices...

Awaya: That's a nice thing. To begin with, there was no one making what I wanted to make, so I had to teach myself. So it started from various "lacks". Not limited to "standard", but I like things that have playfulness and movement. Not just things that actually move, but things that give movement to the space when displayed. I am very conscious of such things when it comes to the doors of the musical instruments and the joints of the lights.

The future of Chikuni's work

Some of the works you have brought to this exhibition are new, but where do chikuni's works come from?

Awaya: For example, when I choose something, I look at it and think, "This is nice," and that's how I get started. That feeling is very important to me. Beautiful things are beautiful. Even when I collect antiques, I first have that feeling, then I research the background, and if the beauty and background match, I decide to buy it. When I put the things I choose in a place where I can see them every day, something comes to me. Ainu culture and village scenery are also like that, and they really get to me. My latest new piece, the letter lamp, was born from that feeling of "I want to make it, I want to make it." I get energy from good things.

Chiku-ni means "tree" in the Ainu language. In his late 20s, after quitting his job at the furniture store, Awaya happened to pick up an autobiography of an Ainu person at the library he frequented, and that's how he first encountered the Ainu. This coincided with the timing when he decided to become independent rather than looking for a job.

Awaya: I'm happy to be able to share the work that was created in this way with everyone.

I think the process before it reaches the customer is very important. What's scary is that being able to buy it easily means being able to throw it away easily. That's the behavior of people who are accustomed to mass production, and it reflects modern Japanese society.

Awaya: I've always hated that. When I was doing interior design during the bubble era, I would stay up all night thinking about something and it would be adopted, and I'd spend hundreds of thousands of yen to create it, but after six months they'd switch to the next design. It was just one after another. Then, after the bubble burst, things started to tone down, companies cut off designers, and we saw an increase in designs that were irrelevant to society.

It's sad that something that was created with so much time and care could end up like this.

Awaya: Anyway, we just want to sell and avoid people who are not interested buying. Chikuni is also online, but we don't have a cart, and we have to exchange emails with one customer about five times before they buy. One of the challenges is how to make our online sales style unique to us.

That would take a lot of work, and it sounds frustrating.

Awaya: I'm very grateful that there are customers who support all of the things I've just mentioned. For example, even when it comes to resale, it's a mission for me as a creator of "classics," so I have to be prepared to a certain extent. Still, I think it's also my mission to suppress that.

What's next for Chikuni and Awaya?

Awaya: Personally, as I mentioned at the beginning, I want to balance work, play, and life. When I met people in an Ainu village last year, I saw how they lived and I felt that this is what it means to live. But, I guess it'll be a while before that happens. I might just keep running for a while.


As for chikuni, while I will continue to create standard items with the help of my staff, I would like to increase the number of artworks, or so-called one-of-a-kind pieces, in the future. There are some toy-like items and elaborately designed lighting pieces in this exhibition, but I would like to put more effort into that.

thank you very much.

Awaya: Thank you very much.

After this conversation

Awaya is generous, cheerful and full of humor. When the term "craftsman" was not as common as it is now, and few people were willing to combine different materials, he has been creating what he wants to create. His gaze has always been one of a kind, and it makes you think, "This is what it means to be a professional." He spoke with a gentle expression as he said, "I want people to look forward to the few months it takes for their order to arrive." Let's keep cherishing time together with the piece we have come across.

Interviewer and writer: Noserumi