THE HEART OF A CARVER

Genji Sakurai pays his bills by creating wooden urns from exotic hardwoods. His goal with each piece is to make the wood and work come alive. How ironic or appropriate that he channels his day-to-day artistic passion to bring life to a box that encompasses death. Truth be told, Genji's heart resides inside all the wood that he touches. A carver by trade for 35 years, he's proud of the simple tools he uses which could fit in a small gym bag. He attributes his ability to communicate with wood to a 10 year period spent simply sanding for his mentor, which forced him to learn how wood behaved. Now at the age of 53 he can pick up a chunk of scrap wood and transform it into an underwater seascape. Carving is his passion.

Genji and I met at the 2005 Hawaii Woodworking Show, when he purchased The SAND-FLEE, Portable Drum Sander. Our paths crossed again this year at the same annual show. I was fortunate enough to be invited to visit his shop and his home. Genji works out of a converted container, which was used to ship goods from the mainland to the Hawaiian Islands. His modest shop contains just the tools he needs. There is no room for unnecessary equipment. His home is filled with some of his first pieces and some of his wife's favorites. I took pictures of his work and marveled by the stories behind each one. I believe our connection was far more than the world of wood. We talked about the struggles to success. Our similarities became much more apparent than our very different backgrounds. Genji attributes his ability to follow his dream to the love and support from his wife. Perhaps like the Carver that made us all, we are given the opportunity to use our gifts to create what was meant to be. For more information about Genji Sakurai's work, please email to info@rjrstudios.com.

"SURFIN" - Hawaiian Mango Wood	Custom Urn	The SAND-FLEE® hitting the beach of Hawaii