DiscoverCraft makers and the evidence for their practice
Portrait of Ren Nakane.
Portrait of Ren Nakane. · Ren Nakane (ren-craftwork.com) · Headshot source page for Ren Nakane · Headshot image for Ren Nakane
Based in
Kyoto, Japan
Classification
metal

中根 嶺

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Ren Nakane

Profile

Background

Nakane was born in Shiga into a making household: his father worked in ceramics and his mother in textile dyeing/weaving. He studied sculpture at Kyoto Municipal Doda Arts and Crafts High School. In Tokyo he entered bridal-ring design and manufacture in 2009 and spent roughly five years in that work before establishing an independent Kyoto studio in 2014.

His current cookware is made from one copper sheet that is repeatedly annealed and raised into vessels for boiling and cooking. Alongside the cookware, the practice extends to lighting, chairs, jewelry and highly polished copper.

Practice

Forms vessels and tools from a single copper sheet by hand using drawing (絞り) and hammer-raising (鎚起), made to order; Vogue Japan lists copper, brass, silver and gold and forging, hammer-raising and drawing; works include kettles, drip pots, pots, cutlery, lighting, chairs and bridal rings. [1, 6, 5]

Work over time

  1. Education Graduated from Kyoto City Doda Arts and Crafts High School (京都市立銅駝美術工芸高等学校), where he majored in sculpture. · Kyoto City Doda Arts and Crafts High School · Sculpture · Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan [5, 2]
  2. Employment Jewellery and bridal-ring design and making in Tokyo, about five years according to Vogue Japan. · Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan [5, 2, 6]
  3. Studio Open Became independent as a metalsmith (鍛金作家) with a studio in Kyoto. · Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan [2, 5]

References

  1. Living tools — Pot
  2. Headshot source page for Ren Nakane Retrieved 2026-10-01
  3. Headshot image for Ren Nakane Retrieved 2026-10-01
  4. Ren Nakane — official site
  5. 中根嶺展 Ren’s Method — うつわノート
  6. 手仕事に出合う旅 vol.3 — Vogue Japan
  7. Ren Nakane - topics Retrieved 2026-10-02
  8. Ren Nakane - studio Retrieved 2026-10-02