Iron Man
Japanese blacksmith Kogoro Kurata forges ahead.
By Lisa Katayama
What do a modern pizzeria, a vintage keyboard, and a giant anime robot have in common? For most of us, nothing at all. But for Kogoro Kurata, they’re pieces of a growing portfolio of unusual things he makes with iron.
A second-generation blacksmith, Kurata has been hammering, bending, and forging iron since childhood. While he’s done his share of building fences and gates to make ends meet, he is best known for his intricate, off-the-wall sculptural creations.
“Iron is like Play-Doh at high heat,” he says. “You don’t need to plan ahead — you can make things up as you go along. Plus it’s much safer than playing with wood!”
The dark, rustic look of Kurata’s ironwork is a ...
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