TYPIST ARTIST PIRATE KING // 76-77 TAKAHASHI MCGILL

WORDS JAI MCINTOSH

Woodworkers Mark McGilvray and Kaori Takahashi-McGilvray create functional homeware and furniture made from a mix of local or sustainable hardwoods. The husbandand-wife duo have been creating bespoke pieces following their Fine Arts degrees at the Wimbledon School of Art, combining traditional Japanese methods with a touch of contemporary creativity. Now working exclusively on commissioned projects, and growing in significance, we spoke to the Devonshire locals about their love of making.

@takahashimcgil

JAI So who are Takahashi McGil?

T/M We create functional homeware and decorative Art pieces made from a mix of local and sustainable hardwoods. The both of us graduated Fine Art at Wimbledon School of Art, the place where we met and began to craft together. I am originally from South Africa and Kaori is Japanese, we now live and work in Devon, we have since 2016. We like to be away from the nose and more connected to nature and our work. Our workshop in Devon provides that. From then until now, we display our work at a collection of galleries domestically and internationally.

We combine time-honoured Japanese traditions honed in Japan with western techniques. Our production expanded to include lacquerware following a trip to Japan in 2018, where we were introduced to urushi lacquering, a process that demands a meticulous approach and attention to detail. The rich organic shades compliment the refined texture and reveal the natural characteristics of the wood. The distinct mark making from their mastered technique glides through the surface, resulting in an exquisitely tangible form. Each considered piece celebrates the natural beauty of the material.

JAI You’re both from Fine Art backgrounds. To what extent does this artistic background inform your creativity now?

T/M We aren't too sure if our Fine Art background directly affects our work. We enjoy creating things. We have been making functional objects since we started working with wood. We are very lucky to have been approached by some galleries in the last few years, and offered the opportunity to make more personal pieces which don't necessarily have to be functional but purely allow us to express our creativity. We are very lucky to have this opportunity. Living in the UK has made us see more value in different heritages. When we are living in our own birth place, we don't think we appreciate as much as we do now about something that used be next to us.

JAI You were introduced to Urushi lacquering in 2018, which is a technique you use today. What is Urushi and what quality does it add to your work?

T/M Urushi is the tapped sap of a tree. There are different methods to use, but the method we use most is fuki urushi. We like this method because it is possible to see the grain through the finish. Urushi is a natural finish which makes the wood waterproof and adds strength. We took a short course in 2018, which provided us with a perfect platform of knowledge to begin to incorporate this technique into our work, but there is still so much to learn and we are experimenting with different techniques.

JAI How do you source materials and what are you looking for?

T/M We pretty much only use local woods nowadays, and we get that wherever we can. We have been lucky with the new head gardener at Cockington, where our studio is located, who has offered us a wonderful variety of woods that have come down. This variety allows us to celebrate the imperfections of the material. We do this by using a knot, live edge, or hole of

WOODWORKERS MARK MCGILVRAY AND KAORI TAKAHASHI-MCGILVRAY

wood instead of removing or avoiding certain parts, which some people might do to create a uniform and clean look. We see it as a special identity and characteristics of the wood, and love to show off its own beauty.

JAI How does your work make you feel?

T/M We have many methods we utilise to complete our work. We sometimes think when we complete work it might be too fussy or complicated, despite it looking as we want. I think this is normal for anyone creating anything. As you know, we like to celebrate the special characters in wood, how the green wood naturally changes shape, many hand carved patterns, and urushi finish. Many people think our work is very minimal and simplified, we are very happy for it to be seen that way although there is great complexity to each piece.

There are multiple points throughout our creative processes where we are very happy to call work complete, going beyond this point can be a gamble. We always feel a sense of risk, but we trust our process and believe it pays off most of the time. Creating and then seeing the finalised piece is incredibly uplifting, we are proud to be able to do this and make pieces we fully believe in.