On my first trip to Japan, I stumbled upon a small gallery space in Tokyo that happened to be exhibiting the work of Masaru Kawai. Creating both functional, utilitarian everyday objects from beautiful domestic cypress and cedar in addition to sculptural vessels - his work shows a reverence for material, sourcing and the enduring nature of form guided by function. With SOMA, the wood is left untreated and raw, and will continue to darken and patina with use over time.

SOMA was founded by Masaru as collection of functional handmade products for daily use - made exclusively from domestic Japanese woods. Based in the countryside of Mino-kamo in Gifu Prefecture, he works out of the same workshop built by his uncle, who was still digging around the wood yard during our visit.

‘Although 70% of land in Japan is forest, Japan depends on imports for the majority of the wood used in the country.’ With SOMA, Kawai is committed to working with, and raising the appreciation and understanding of domestic cedar and hinoki cypress - native species that are often overlooked.