Tai Lake has been involved in design, woodworking, the arts, and forestry for most of his life. A Hawaii resident since 1980, Tai has served as the president of the Hawaii Wood Guild, the Donkey Mill Art Center, The Hawaii Forest Industry Association, and is currently heading up the Hawaii Artist Collaboration, a non-profit dedicated to bringing artists from around the world to share their experience, knowledge and resources. Tai has also hosted a stream of guest instructors at his studio, covering many aspects of woodworking and blacksmithing for the benefit of the Hawaii island craft community.

Tai’s work has been featured in numerous publications and has received many awards for design and craftsmanship including several best of show honors. He and his sons work together and still harvest much of the wood that goes into their creations.

“Form and line have been handed down through the centuries to communicate a mastery of one’s craft. The common thread in great work is the blend of craftsmanship and design. Even purely functional items can have a clarity of purpose that transcends the function and makes the object a joy to view. In my mind, that’s where craft meets art, and that’s where things get interesting.”