Takayoshi Narita

Background

Takayoshi Narita was born in Hakodate and first trained as a painter, graduating from Musashino Art University's oil-painting program and entering graduate school before leaving it. He continued making two-dimensional work for a period, then moved toward fabrication: he studied welding at a vocational school and worked at an ironworks, with an earlier phase of three-dimensional/model-making work also exposing him to welding and fabricated form.

Narita learned industrial welding as a way to build in three dimensions, worked around metal professionally and constructed his own workshop while employed. By 2005 he was independent in Minakami, Gunma.

For his iron frying pans he cuts thin plate, creates an oxide skin in a coke forge, hammers the curvature, forms and rivets the handle, then lets beeswax/oil and cooking build the surface over time. He also makes stainless tableware.