Tadao Arimoto Apprenticeship

Tadao Arimoto is a master Japanese woodworker and furniture designer who has practiced his craft in Pittsburgh, PA for nearly 50 years. I worked one-on-one with Arimoto, helping him through every stage of the furniture design & fabrication process. I credit this experience as foundational to everything I know about design, woodworking, and craft in general. I'm forevor grateful for Tadao's generosity in sharing his practice with me—and for his friendship.

Duration

18 months

About Tadao Arimoto

Trained in industrial design at the International Design Institute in Kyoto, Arimoto relocated to Pittsburgh in 1977 and has since spent 40+ years mastering his craft designing and building contemporary Japanese furniture.

"In an anthropocentric landscape dominated by right angles, Tadao’s work draws on the beauty and strength of organic structures. His use of natural materials explores the passage of time as measured by ancient trees and ageless stones."

Arimoto's longtime studio is located in the Chateau neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. He creates "functional, everyday objects inspired by the diversity of forms and processes in nonhuman nature."

Seven doors designed & built for Church of the Ascension in Oakland, Pittsburgh. Replaced the original 125-year old doors; made to last 125 more. Sapele mahagony.

I fabricated three of the doors, fabricated the transoms, assisted with the design of the two larger doors, and fabricated the brick mold and casing.

A Japanese church altar designed and fabricated for Shumei USA in Kutztown, PA. Sliding shoji doors enclose the altar's shrine while two hidden cabinets store ceremonial objects.

My role in the project included the install of plywood panels, the fabrication of the altar's deck, the fabrication of cabinet boxes, the install of door hinges and slides, trim and molding work, and assisting with final install.