Carpenter Tommi Rajala from Kauhajoki, Finland
Tommi Rajala, from Hyyppä, Kauhajoki, founded Wood Art as an expression of his passion for woodcraft. This ambitious one-man company has deservedly received worldwide recognition. His love for his craft and for hardwood as a pure and genuine natural resource shows in everything that is created by his hands. His refreshingly original products and artisan pieces are 100% handmade in the Kauhajoki workshop and then shipped to delight our customers all over the world. Read more about carpenter Tommi Rajala and his story that led to the creation of Wood Art.
When woodworking steals your heart
Working with my hands and building all kind of things, which gives you an opportunity to be creative, has always felt natural to me and it is something I have enjoyed since I was a little boy. It wasn't until the early years of the 2010's, however, when I got into woodworking due to a lucky coincidence and my inquisitive mind. Near our garden, there was an outbuilding where there was an old, unused woodworking lathe. I made some enquiries and soon enough ended up borrowing it for my workshop. The borrowed lathe was followed by a bandsaw, the bandsaw was followed by a plane, the plane by an assortment of different woodworking tools, and it just got started from there! Before I noticed, what started as a casual hobby, had stolen quite a piece of my heart! I could easily lose track of time at the workshop and my imagination was swirling with ideas.
As a carpenter, I started with very simple projects, such as candle stands so as to become familiar with different types of wood and different working methods. I have gradually moved on to more and more demanding and detailed projects – you never run out of things to learn.
Challenging myself and getting out of my comfort zone and mastering new skills has always been important to me. The way I see it is that you can learn anything you set yourself to do, as long as you are motivated and passionate about what you do. My mentality also shows in my slogan: "Black Belt at Woodworking".
From hobby to business
I created Wood Art trademark for my work in 2012. All Wood Art products are genuine artisan products handmade by myself from start to finish in my workshop in Kauhajoki, Finland. As materials, I have ended up selecting different hardwoods such as birch, appletree, cherrytree and peartree, goat willow, walnut, oak, teak, mahogany, wenge, padouk, movinqui, cocopolo and tulipwood. Wood is a wonderfully malleable material and I leave its beautiful colour shades always visible in all my work.
Woodworking is still primarily a beloved hobby, but the end result is also important. The reactions from customers and people who view or come to see my work or received one of my items as a gift are meaningful and rewarding to me. The most rewarding thing in this work is when you can surprise and give pleasure to other people.
Contact us
A handcrafted wooden sculpture inspired by the personal interests of the recipient is a unique gift for anyone. Please contact me when you want to surprise family and friends with something specially designed just for them. Share your ideas with me – I am always happy to help. I ship my products everywhere in Finland and worldwide.
