2017 World Wood Day

Participants

RANDY STUMP & BILL GOLDSCHNEIDER

SCROLLSAW WORK

Randy Stump, retired U.S. Navy, Started doing scrollsaw work about 4 years ago. He loves making toys for his grandchildren. He also makes toys for children’s organizations. Bill Goldschneider was introduced to scrollsaw machine and was fascinated by the creative possibilities he imagined could be achieved by this tool 20 years ago. During the past 15 years, he has been a participant in the international design in wood competition and exhibition held annually in San Diego and have been awarded 25 ribbons and 4 special awards. At the age of 80, he is still actively producing wood art and look forward to many more years in his wood shop.

MUSTAFA ABDULBAGI A ALARAB

ARABIC CALLIGRAPHY

Arabic calligraphy, is the artistic practice of handwriting based upon the Arabic language and alphabet. Its development is strongly tied to Qur'an. It is a significant decoration for objects and buildings though books are its major art form. Since more than 25 years old, Mustafa Abdulbagi A ALARAB has been fascinated by Arabic calligraphy because of its miracle of using simple tools to show its potential and versatility. Through the use of that piece of wood, Calligrapher distinguishes the Arabic script and Arabic letters from the rest of other languages. To preserve this heritage and this visual art, he spends his life among this art in teaching, providing educational lectures, seminars, workshops, exhibitions and many television interviews.

KAZUAKI HARADA & MEGUMI HARADA

AUTOMATA (JAPAN)

Kazuaki Harada studied art history at Yamaguchi University, and contemporary crafts at University collage of Falmouth. He began making automata in 2002 and launched his workshop in 2008. He runs it with his wife, Megumi Harada. The automata he makes are hand-cranked, using several kinds of wood as materials. He aims to make people smile.
Website (http://nizo.jp)

TOM HANEY

AUTOMATA (UNITED STATES)

Automata is also known as kinetic, figurative sculpture. My artwork is created from a combination of common materials and traditional methods. All my mechanisms are purposely low-tech. My stories often illustrate man’s perseverance to overcome life’s obstacles, often with open-ended narratives that can be interpreted and completed by the viewer. I have always been fascinated by mechanical movement. I took art classes in high school and attended college studying Industrial Design. Before becoming a full-time artist in 2000, my work consisted of making props, models and miniatures for television commercials, still photographers, and motion pictures.
Website (http://www.tomhaney.com/)

PHAN THANH LIEM & NGUYEN THI MINH LOAN

WATER PUPPETRY

Water puppetry is a traditional folk art of Vietnamese farmer for a thousand years. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large bamboo rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers to control them. Phan Thanh Liem and Nguyen Thi Minh Loan were both born in a family with a tradition of performing water puppetry. Phan Thanh Liem is also the first person to create miniature water puppetry stage and have carried out performances in different places at home and abroad. His father and his grandfather have significantly contributed to this folk art of Vietnam.
Website (http://roinuocvietnam.com/)

YONG-TING LAI

GLOVE PUPPETRY

Glove puppetry, introduced to Taiwan over 200 years ago, forms one of the most symbolic entertainment forms there. The puppet’s head, palms, and feet are carved out of wood. Traditional shows use small-sized puppets, around 30 cm, and maintain the character classifications of traditional opera. Born in 1971, Lai Yong-Ting is a skilled performer, who performed over 500 shows together with puppet master Chen Xihuang, a national treasure of Taiwanese puppet theatre. Lai also started studying puppet carving when he was still in high school. Lai is skilled at carving various characters of the traditional puppet shows and modern puppets.

PAVEL TRUHLÁŘ & ZDENKA OWENOVÁ

MARIONETTE

Marionettes has very long tradition in Bohemia, where became domesticated and deeply rooted in the first half of 17th century and over time went through many changes. Considered themselves as a followers and successors of the tradition of Czech Puppetry, Pavel Truhlář is a puppet-maker and puppeteer for the last 25 years. He travels with his own puppet ensemble Teatro Truhla all over the world and gives performances. He is also the founder of Marionety Truhlar company based in Prague since 1993. Zdenka Owenová worked there as a PR and Marketing Manager plus a Costume designer. She organizes different marionette projects in Czech or abroad, collaborate with Pavel Truhlář on various puppet workshops.
Website (http://www.marionety.com/)

KEN ALAN COWELL

MARQUETRY

Marquetry is the art of creating decorative designs and pictures by skillfully utilizing the grain, figure and colors of thin veneers. Since Ken has always enjoy working with his hands, it has been gratifying to have had a career as a contractor and later a custom cabinet maker. He and his wife are retired and are enjoying their four married children and ten grandchildren. With a love for learning he has done many woodworking skills, he is currently focusing on custom furniture with marquetry as well as teaching marquetry classes.
Website (http://kencowell.com/)

RUSS FILBECK

CHAIR MAKING

I am a professional chair maker and wood worker. I prefer to make the Colonial Windsor chairs and Appalachian Ladder Back chairs. I also enjoy making Shaker oval boxes. I retired from Palomar College in San Marcos, CA as a Woodworking Professor for 21 years. I now teach these classes in my home shop in San Diego, CA. I graduated from San Diego State University with Bachelor and Masters degrees in Industrial Arts.
Website (http://www.russfilbeck.com/)

LIN ZHIQUAN

CHINESE CLASSICAL FURNITURE MAKING

The mortise and tenon joint, which is used to combine two pieces of wood, is the wisdom of ancient Chinese craftsmanship. It serves as the main structure of Chinese ancient architecture, furniture and other wooden instruments. Lin Zhiquan is master of arts and crafts. When he was young, he started to learn sculpting from folk craftsmen and Taiwanese designers. He started a business in Chinese classical furniture in 1996. His company received awards several times in the national exhibition.
Website (http://www.hgjsc.com/)

JIANNING ZOU

WOODEN MOVABLE TYPE

Movable type, invented in the 11th century in ancient China, is a printing technology to reproduce individual characters. Over centuries, the wooden movable types have almost vanished in China but were fortunately preserved by a group of skillful Hakka craftsmen. They used it to print their genealogy and location of their ancestors’ graveyard. Mr. Jianning Zou, the 4th generation inheritor, started his career in 1978 and is skillful at all procedures related to these old reproduction techniques. He received the title of inherited master of non-material cultural heritage (City level) in 2010.

SHOJI KAWASAKI, YUSUKE SEKIOKA & TAKUYA OKADA

UKIYO - EPRINT

4 years ago, Shoji Kawasaki retired his job and started a venture to make contemporary Ukiyo-e, though following traditional production technique taken over 200 years ago. Design drawing, carving and printing are performed by different individuals. For carving and printing, it requires at least 5 years for the craftsmen to obtain the special skill and technique. Therefore, most of them are spending their whole life only for the expertise in this traditional craftsmanship. Yusuke Sekioka is the carver who has 39 years of experience while Takuya Okada is the printer has 9 years.
Website (http://www.ukiyomokuhan.com/en/)

WANG ZHIPENG & GUIPING YAO

WOODEN DUMMY

Wooden Dummy is the used in training of Wing Chun for the development of agility, strength of impact, shock hardening of surfaces, etc. Another famous weapon techniques practiced in Wing Chun is Six-and-Half Point Long Pole. Possessing only 7 key techniques, the sequence of the form is also rather compact - showing the efficient nature of Wing Chun. Master Wang Zhipeng is the President of Beijing Wing Chun Association and the secondgeneration successor of Master Wong Shun Leung’s Wing Chun Style.

HEE BYUNG LEE & JUNG CHUL SHIN

HAHOE MASKS

Hahoe masks represent roles needed to perform in the ritual dance dramas. They are the treasures of South Korea. Jung Chul SHIN is a carver who appeared in various exhibitions, including the 38th LA Korean Festival Jangseung crafts in 2011 and 52nd Yeosu Folk Art Festival Exhibition in 2012. Hee Byung LEE is specialized in Korean dance and received awards, including Artist of the Year(Artistic Review)’ Award from Korean Art Critic Association in 2010.

ABDOULAYE OUDERAOGO

BWA WOODEN MASKS

Bwa wooden masks are believed to possess special powers which are controlled by those who wear them. They represent a number of characters in the myths of their families and clans in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Abdoulaye Ouderaogo started to learn carving since 1989. He participated in many fairs in Africa, including Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, in Europe and in the United States.

Videos

About WWD

World Wood Day is a cultural event celebrated annually during the week of March 21st to highlight wood as an eco-friendly and renewable biomaterial and to raise awareness on the key role wood plays in a sustainable world. Starting from 2013, WWD celebrations were held in Tanzania, China, Turkey, Nepal, and United States respectively, involving participants from over 100 countries and regions.

2017 USA