I recently travelled from central Bangkok crossing over the Chao phraya river, the vein of the great city, to Bang Mot, a beautiful leafy area. I was looking for the workshop of

Nu, a woodworking craftsman who had recently moved from Phetchaburi, a small town two hours drive south of Bangkok.

 

With art and design going through a renaissance in Thailand there is a demand for highly skilled craftsmen able to bring to life the ideas, big and small of the new generation of up and coming designers. Nu is one of these craftsman.

 

Nu started working with objects from a young age helping his father with shaping the metal structures hidden to the eye in the underlying structures of upholstered furniture.

Although he began dabbling with wood at this time his true love and appreciation of timber didn’t come until later, when he travelled to the North East of Thailand, where he was taught the skills of working with bamboo, an art that has been passed down through the ages in Thailand.

 

The most important aspect of successfully working with bamboo is an understanding of its grain, and although Nu no longer works with bamboo it is the grain of a timber that continues to fascinate him .He now applies the knowledge he gained from working with bamboo to a variety of timbers like Asian Walnut, Makha and Nara. The latter is a favourite of Nu’s along with Dang, a hardwood with an oily structure which makes it hard to work with, but the results that can be achieved with this beautiful rich coloured timber are well worth the effort.

 

Nu’s workshop is neatly laid out with an essential selection of carefully maintained hand and power tools. These allow him to take on a range of intricate and robust projects. How the workshop is organized  reflects the skill and precision with which Nu completes projects.

 

Looking at the unfinished walnut table top with the strong grain standing out boldly, even without a finish applied, you can see that Nu selects his timber thoughtfully, and the final detailing such as the ebony wedges seen in the the top of the three legged stool show the skill of this craftsman. It is not surprising then, that designers are coming to Nu to with their projects.

 

Woodworking is a passion for Nu. Being able to turn a raw piece of timber into a beautiful functional object gives Nu a great sense of satisfaction. He has an eye for a timber’s qualities, and he affirms that quality while working the material with his hands.

 

Nu commits part of his time to teaching teenagers woodworking at the local high school. By doing this he is helping to keep alive skills that are becoming harder and harder to find, not only in Thailand, but also in the rest of the world.