Warang Wayan

The idea for Warang Wayan originated when Yuri Tsuchiya, who loves travelling around Asia, and Masami Ishida, who loves travelling around Africa, met by chance at a shop called SAVOIR VIVRE in their mid-twenties. Working together at the shop they founded the basis for Warang Wayan and started the business in 2000, with one living in Morocco and the other in Indonesia.

"Warang", the name of a village in Africa, and "Wayan", Yuri's husbands name, makes handmade goods such as spoons, plates and sculptures, but also works with leather and textiles. Wayan, Yuri's husband, who's a woodworker, makes all these pieces at a small atelier in their house. Originally the atelier began with only one craftsman, but now they have several village people working there, employing people who wouldn't normally have a job. The wooden goods are born against the background of laughter of the Balinese workers, who enjoy joking and the sound of wooden hammers.

What Wayan makes is very simple but detailed, going against the grain in a country which likes things shiny and colourful. Hopefully you'll see the unique beauty in these wonderful handcrafted objects.