Aesthetics of Everyday Life, Voicer Magazine

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It’s not often you come across fantastic imagery like this. Although I enjoy viewing the final objects made by different craftsmen, especially when it falls in to my own hands, I really like to see how they’re made and what processes they go through to get the desired form. It’s also fascinating to see the craftsmen at work in their studio and what sort of equipment they have to use to work whichever material necessary. Some of this we can see here today.

Voicer, an online magazine that documents the aesthetics of everyday Life, was founded in 2007, with their team being based in Shanghai, China. So far they’ve covered a series of different crafts and creatives, a few of which we’ve covered here in the past, and others that are very new to me. One that intrigued me specifically was the article on candle making by father and son team Akihiro and Satoshi Onishi. The candles consist of a core, usually Japanese paper which is thread with a grass to make a silk floss. They then take the skewer and roll it in the raw wax, coating it again and again until the body has been built up to the right thickness. This is a monotonous job and is said to take ten years in order to be a fully-fledged craftsman in this field. You may be asking, why they do this? Why not just use machinery? Well, using this method you get brighter and longer lasting candles. It’s only by hand that you can balance the wax with the core in such a way to make the best possible candle. That’s the kind of dedication I like to see!

Aside from the candle making Voicer Magazine also showcase the work of potter Takeryo Kawaguchi, brush maker Kiyokazu Takaki, bamboo craftsman Kazuho Shimomoto, and finally Toru Tsuji who’s an expert in metal knitting. You may have seen us highlight kanaamitsuji before on the blog, they make some exceptional goods that are highly crafted. So I’ve picked out a few snaps from the Voicer website that inspired me, but I definitely recommend floating that way to see what else they have on offer. You’re sure to come across some fantastic imagery.

voicer.me

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