MASTER OF METAL

“(KAWANO) COULD EAS­ILY BE THE PER­SON­I­FIC­A­TION OF MAZDA’S
HU­MAN-CENT­RIC AP­PROACH TO DESIGN.”

His base of operations is Mazda’s comparatively cooler Design Modelling Studio, where the Takumi Master has begun hammering and bowing a wafer-thin piece of sheet metal. He’s manipulating the shimmering material to create a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of art that is strikingly like the designs that can be seen throughout Mazda vehicles rolling off the production line. Working on just one of 11 total pieces that will fuse into a singular object, Kawano is creating a Rashin sculpture with hammers, tongs, and vices. The finished product will resemble a smooth, seamless, and gleaming piece of art that draws parallels with Mazda’s current designs, but also points towards future design ideals in vehicles to come.

These results, however, aren’t just about improving physical appearance. Kawano’s work often invokes emotions, including happiness and contentment, from the viewer. Whether it’s intentional or not, it’s his conviction to the craft that can take these perceptions to new heights. “If people look at my work and they feel happy about it, then I’m also happy,” he says, smiling.

  
To make his work, Kawano has had to craft his own custom-made equipment and make special modifications to off-the-shelf tools. His hammers, vice attachments and bespoke anvils are all tweaked and contoured for a direct, specific use and make for marvels of their own. His wrist guards, too, are made from tapered denim to protect his wrists. As he demonstrates, Kawano can also use the cracks found in the base of a timeworn tree trunk as leverage to shape copperware. It’s all part of an ongoing mission to better both himself and, as a direct result, to push Mazda’s design strategy into the future.

From an outside perspective, it seems Kawano has already made it to this higher plane of design and influence within Mazda. Ever since he started metalwork at 18-years-old, Kawano has worked across a multitude of disciplines within Mazda. He started off training for the National Skills Competition and followed this with a stint in body production, before moving on to Mazda’s design division. This is where he would hone his craft for almost four decades, not only on metalwork but also painting and sewing. These days, his role is to bring designers’ ideas formed in clay or digital to life, utilising various materials such as metal, resin, and leather to create models and artwork with further expression and precision. He also collaborates with the younger generation of designers and artists in creation of artworks and model samples, passing on his unique knowledge of metalwork and his deep, rooted understanding of Mazda’s design philosophy. “I’m working with them directly,” he says, “I give them advice and I learn from them as well. We’re working and growing together, doing real work.”

Now 60-years-old, Kawano’s tenure at Mazda has seen him become an unfaltering example of Japanese heritage and unique skill that works in-tandem with digitisation. What’s more, his career goes beyond Mazda. Kawano was tasked with crafting a copper frame for the eternal flame of Daishoin Temple in Miyajima and, working with other Hiroshima-based companies, was inspired by the legacy of manufacturing in the city. Inevitably, his enduring design has captivated viewers ever since its inception. “If you can see something which is created by hand, it gives you warmth,” he finishes. “Something created by human hands is very important. It shouldn’t be lost.”

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