Industrial & Engineering Technology: Woodworker
Industrial & Engineering Technology
WoodWorker:
Marian Yasuda
by Mike Yoshiura
"I always felt that I was missing out on something, but the timing and the money wasn't right. I knew it wasn't going to work out for me, at the time," says Marian Yasuda, a 46-year-old woodworking extraordinaire…
Missing…
"Most of my friends went away to college. I was the odd ball who stayed home." Going away to a mainland college wasn't the right fit for her, at the time. After graduating from Punahou High School, Marian decided to major in art history at the University of Hawaii. "I met someone at UH, who was on an exchange from the mainland. In the national exchange program you pay in-state tuition, and you can go to any participating school. I thought…what an opportunity! In-state tuition at the time was ridiculous (cheap), something like $150 dollars a semester. "
Shell Shock
"I wanted to go someplace culturally different so I started researching design programs. I narrowed it down to three different schools; Buffalo, Amherst Massachusetts, and Green Bay Wisconsin. I got my first choice, which was State University in Buffalo, and it was shockingly different. I never thought that people who looked like me (Caucasian) could be so different." Getting adjusted to a new environment was difficult, but being away from home was fulfilling her every need. "The people were different, the food was different, and the weather couldn't get much more different. It filled my desires, and that's the reason I wanted to go away."
Change is Good
"I started out at UH, majoring in art history because I loved it! Then I started meeting people with master degree's who were waiting on tables. I thought I would never get a job in that field, so it really made me think…How can I still be creative, have art in my life, and get a job doing it? I decided on graphic design, and along the way, I got exposed to furniture design."
Destined For Wood
"When I got to Buffalo, I had to choose my classes…I wanted to take anything that wasn't offered at UH. All of my experiences were great, but after taking furniture design my first semester, I was totally hooked. After that semester I knew exactly what I would be doing for the rest of my life."
Homeward Bound
Yasuda returned to Hawaii, and she found a job working at a cabinet shop, formerly Contours Inc. Working there was a learning experience, exposing her to the production and machinery aspect of woodworking, which she later refined for her own business (Yasuda Designs in Wood). At State University, Marian was taught a purist form of woodworking, which was a much different concept from the production training at Contours Inc. "I've sold both ends of the spectrum in woodworking, and when I started doing my own thing I sort of blended the two. I wanted to keep high quality work, but make it a little profitable."
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait…
Woodworking is a long-tedious process, but the end result is a work of art. The most time consuming piece Yasuda's made was an entertainment cabinet, a lengthy six-month process. The handmade cabinet was 15 feet long, and was made entirely of Koa wood. The piece was made for a home in the Kahala area, and sold for $24,000. "It housed all the electronics for this guy's system, and he had two of everything. A sound designer sectioned things off for the best quality sound, and I put drywall around his subwoofers."
Opening New Doors
"I really do believe that bad things, or what looks bad at the time, may actually be a good thing. Sometimes you open a door that you may have never known was there. You just have to go with the flow." In January 2006, Marian was diagnosed with a rare genetic lung disorder, which prevents her from exposing her lungs to dust or harsh chemicals, forcing her to close her business and redirect her life. "I'm healthy, but basically I'm making changes to my life to protect or slow down the process because if I don't, I will at some point have liver failure. Most people do just fine! They could be a woodworker all their life and not have any problems. This disorder is quite rare because it's limited to Caucasians." Yasuda is writing a new chapter in her life, but in Hawaii's woodworking industry she'll always be regarded as paramount.