Karimoku Furniture presents MAE ENGELGEER "Tsudoi / Gathering" at Karimoku Commons Tokyo

What happens when the everyday details of a furniture factory are seen through a different lens? In “Tsudoi / Gathering,” Dutch textile artist and designer Mae Engelgeer turns her attention to the tools, materials and quiet routines behind Karimoku Furniture’s manufacturing process, transforming what usually remains behind the scenes into a new visual language.

The project began after Engelgeer moved to Kyoto and grew through an ongoing exchange with Karimoku Commons Kyoto. Wooden molds and jigs, sorting trays and color-coded markings from Karimoku Furniture’s factory floor became unexpected sources of inspiration, reinterpreted through material, shape and color. Following its first presentation in Kyoto, the exhibition evolved for Karimoku Commons Tokyo, bringing together new wooden pieces and HOSOO’s Artisanal Hemp in a dialogue between wood and textile, industry and craft, and contemporary design and Japanese tradition.

At its heart, “Tsudoi / Gathering” finds beauty in the often-overlooked details of making. By bringing Karimoku Furniture’s tools, processes and craftsmanship into a new context, Engelgeer offers a fresh perspective on the everyday language of manufacturing.