Story

Making things since childhood, his professional journey began in hair. He moved from salon work into session practice across fashion and advertising. Working alongside editors, photographers, and set teams trained his sense of proportion, quality, and restraint. The camera taught distance: how an object reads when it is not in your hands.

Curiosity has always guided the work. Different disciplines became a way to understand how objects fail, where tolerances matter, and which details carry meaning. Between assignments he made headpieces in metal and fabric, then combs. Design software and digital fabrication entered the process, while bench methods stayed close. Combs became a school in interlocking structure and directional strength.

A compressed paper composite became central to the work. It cuts cleanly, takes a fine edge, and develops a quiet patina through use. It is shaped by abrasion rather than heat.

These threads resolve in TANAKA Eyewear: a nine-year progression from experiment to sustained practice. Each frame is refined through slow iteration at the bench, made by a single artisan from start to finish, and recorded by serial as part of the archive.