Interview with silver workshop AramaRoots (naturama)

Interview with the creators: From the creative process
AramaRoots Silver Studio (naturama) - Kokoro Kato

"I want to continue challenging myself to create my own unique techniques and works."

The Silver Workshop AramaRoots (naturama) that we visited this time is an accessory brand established by Kato Shinshi in 2000.
Kato's diverse approach to creations continues to capture the hearts of many fans as accessories that can be worn for a long time with affection. His workshop is located in a quiet residential area west of Mount Tenno. Blessed with abundant nature, this mystical land that has been the stage for many historical events is the perfect place to cultivate creative inspiration. Kato is a craftsman with many hobbies and a playful side, but this interview conveyed his underlying passion for craftsmanship.

Turning the desire to create three-dimensional pieces into accessories

--Have you been good at making things since you were little?

My family moved to Kyoto when I was young, but both of my parents were originally from Izumo, and my grandfather was a craftsman who made Buddhist statues and altars.
I still have vague memories of my grandfather's workplace and the smell of wood. I was the only relative to inherit that bloodline, and as a child I was given paper and pencils instead of toys, and was content to draw manga.
I was creating things that surprised people around me. I went to an art school in high school, and from then on I wanted to be a manga artist, so I kept drawing. In the end, I gave up on being a manga artist, but after that I worked as a character designer at a game company, worked as a freelance graphic designer, made objects as a hobby and sold them at flea markets, and was involved in creation in various ways.

--Though there were twists and turns along the way, you were always focused on creation. And did you end up becoming a jewelry designer?

When I reached my 30s, I wanted to learn three-dimensional modeling in a way that I could use for work, so I started attending a vocational school for jewelry while working. I was over 30 and I knew I wanted to make a living from this, so I studied voraciously.

--The results came quickly.

I made a lot of efforts to get people around me to help me, and thankfully, I started receiving orders from friends at an early stage.
When I received an order, I would learn from my teachers at school about anything I didn't understand. In 2000, when I launched "AramaRoots Silver Workshop," I was still in school and working as a businessman during the day, but gradually the number of orders increased, and I was able to shift to just making silver.
In the end, I went to school for 3-4 years and learned almost everything I needed to know before I dropped out.

─Where does the brand name “Arama Roots” come from?

It is a coined word that combines the Ainu word "Aram" meaning "my soul" and the English word meaning "path, origin." It means "the origin of my soul." It is filled with the desire to create a soulful piece that can become the roots of accessories for the next generation.
The reason I use Ainu words is because I initially wanted to make jewelry with Ainu patterns. But after a few pieces, I got bored and stopped making them (laughs).
After that, I started making hard-edged silver accessories for men, with intricate gimmicks, like those with springs inside to move them.

--That's a completely different style from what you have now.

Being a boy (laughs), I naturally liked mechanical things and robots. However, there was a problem in that the effort required to make one was not worth the price (laughs).

The joy of those who use my work motivates me to create

--What prompted you to shift to your current focus on women's accessories?

It was after we had more opportunities to sell our products at events in department stores. Since it is a department store, most of the customers are women, and I thought that we couldn't grow as a brand unless we focused on women.
I gradually made the lines thinner and added more nature-themed designs, such as butterflies and flowers.

--Did you have any reservations about creating something with a completely different style?

At first, I did (laughs). But when I saw how happy my customers were when communicating with me and how much they valued my products, it made me really happy and encouraged me.
Also, my girlfriend at the time...she's now my wife...she would tell me what she wanted for things, so I tried to listen to her as much as possible.

--Your wife is now in charge of sales and the website for "Arama Roots"! That's where your collaborative efforts really began.

That's right. I started making cats at her request. I love cats and have always had them, but I never had any intention of making them into works of art.
The world was filled with these kinds of realistic, three-dimensional objects, so I wasn't interested in making them myself. Originally, I was interested in complex designs.
However, having made accessories for over 10 years, I have acquired the skills to add my own personal touch to them, so I thought I would give it a try.

--What are the characteristics of the cats that you create?

Mine is probably from a manga. I make them based on real cats, but they're not exactly realistic. I make them with slightly larger heads and eyes, and shorter bodies. I put in my own kind of cuteness, or rather, I emphasize the parts that I find cute.
However, if you overdo it, it can become childish, so we have to be careful to strike a balance. This is a cat for adult women.

--It started with cats and now your animal series has expanded.

I make many items based on customer requests, so I've added dogs and rabbits. I've been getting more and more requests for dogs in particular. There are still not many artists who make dogs, so I think they're getting a lot of attention.

--All of your works are truly adorable, but what do you keep in mind when creating them?

Since the motif is a living creature, it is important to create an atmosphere that seems to speak to you. After the mold is completed, it is smoked and polished in the final process, and we finish it carefully, down to each and every strand of fur, as if we are breathing life into it.
The eyes in particular are given a shiny, smoked finish to give them a lifelike shine. So even if they are made using the same mold, each one has a different expression when completed. It would be my greatest reward as an artist if people would come to love and care for my dolls as if they were their own.

--Another representative work of yours that cannot be overlooked is your Morpho butterfly accessory series. I heard that it was recently used in a TV drama and orders have been flooding in.

I've calmed down now (laughs). I came across some antiques favored by British aristocrats that had morpho butterfly wings sandwiched between glass to create jewelry, and I wanted to create something like that using modern technology! That's what I researched.
The material used was Morpho butterfly wings, which could not be used for specimens, but these are not available in Japan, so we had to start from scratch and find out how to import them.
It took a lot of ingenuity to recreate it in resin instead of glass, but because I have been making resin accessories for a long time and have acquired the skills, I was able to come up with a skillful processing technique. I am proud to have created something that no one else could have imitated.

--The exact manner in which you created such beauty using resin is a company secret.

Of course (laughs). But, although I've been making them for five years now, to be honest, it's only been recently that I've been able to produce them with impeccable quality.
During that time, the quality of materials such as resin has improved dramatically. The products we make now are close to perfect. So, if a customer who previously purchased a product requests it, we will perform maintenance and restore it to almost new condition, charging only the cost of materials.
This is not limited to Morpho butterflies, but we offer maintenance on all of our works, as we don't use any materials that cannot be repaired.

What we want now is the ability to freely decorate jewelry

--It's clear that each piece is a concentrated expression of your passion. It seems like you're taking on new challenges with each piece.

I always want to develop new techniques. I want to bring my goals and dreams to the world in my own way. In particular, I have always wanted to add color to accessories, and that's how I came across the Morpho butterfly, but resin is not something that will last forever.
The best way to add color is to incorporate glass objects. Then, I happened to come across a book in a used bookstore, and was struck by the work of Rene Lalique, a French jewelry artist active in the 19th and 20th centuries. The more I researched it, the more I wanted to master this technique.

I want to make things that can only be made by hand. Also, I want to offer things that are not high-end, but pop and familiar, but not cheap. I thought this was the perfect technique for that. In Japan, the principle is the same as the Shippo technique, but there is something that cannot be explained by that alone.
I would love to incorporate this technique into my own expression, but the only place I can find where I can learn is France.

─I can't wait to see what new horizons you explore.

I think now is the time to do something, but the conditions are not quite right. Fortunately, I have always been the type of person who, once I get interested in something, I go for it head on. I still have the desire to take on new challenges. I'm already 50 years old, so I want to master this technique as my final challenge.

--You've still got a long way to go before you hit 50. But you're so positive, Mr. Kato.

No, when I was little, I was shy and timid, and I used to think, "No matter what, I'm no good." But one day, I realized that this way of thinking was no good, I was only losing out! I was bringing all the bad results on myself. I still remember the moment I realized this clearly and decided to change my way of thinking. It was before I started elementary school.

--That's quite precocious (laughs).

Maybe. But I don't remember how specifically my life changed after that, or whether it moved my life in a better direction. But I did start to think more positively.

--What happens in life?

No, it's not something you can just "figure it out" (laughs). However, I think the basis is to have the determination to do something and put in the effort accordingly. Apart from a handful of geniuses.
I think basic skills are very important, and when I decided to make accessories I studied intensively at school, so although it took time, I believe I am still able to work as an artist today.
I've taken many detours, but for example, it's thanks to drawing manga that I'm able to give three-dimensional form to the things I imagine in my head, and all the efforts I've made have helped me to become who I am today.

--What kind of developments do you have in mind for the future?

Being introduced to people from different industries through Craft Cafe has been a great inspiration for me.
Everyone is getting bigger and bigger, and I think it's amazing, and I also think of them as rivals. I myself have been blessed with connections with really wonderful people, and that's why I've been able to get this far. That's why I can't lose.
Since it's a small brand run by a single artist, we can't spread out too much, but I'd like to create works for the world in the future. To achieve this, I want to add a European nuance to my current works, so it's essential that I learn new techniques.
And eventually I want to appear on Jonetsu Tairiku (laughs). Above all else, the most important thing is to continue creating works that I can be satisfied with and that please as many customers as possible.

--I look forward to it. Thank you very much.

"I'm not a genius, I'm just an ordinary person. I've come this far through hard work, connections, and luck," says Kato. However, his creativity as an artist, which allows him to focus on what is required and elevate it into original works, is also a rare talent.
His creative attitude of continuing to challenge himself to create what he wants while flexibly responding to needs is what makes him an artist. I'm even more excited to see what kind of works he will create in the future.
(Images of my beloved cats Gris and Lattu, and images from the exhibition in Milan, Italy, were provided by Aramaruts.)

Profile of Kato Kokoro from AramaRoots (naturama)

Born in Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture in 1967. Influenced by his grandfather, a Buddhist statue craftsman, he has a stronger interest in craftsmanship than most people and is blessed with a rich imagination.
After that, she moved to Kyoto. After graduating from an art school, she enrolled in the Japan Jewelry Craft Academy while working in graphic design and object production, where she learned how to make and design silver accessories.
In 2000, he established the Silver Workshop Aramarutsu in Oyamazaki, Kyoto. He delivers only works that he is satisfied with to his customers.

Click here for a list of accessories by Kato Kokorozu of Silver Studio Aramarutsu