An ex-cop of Bhutan, Kinzang Wangdi had so much passion for wood carving that he has left his job with the Royal Bhutan Police and moved into full time carpentry for good. He has invented innovative ways of making folding wooden furniture without the help of even a single nail!How the Passion for Wood Carving Began?
Kinzang Wangdi, in December 2005, designed and produced a collapsible wooden stand to hold his religious books while conducting prayer ceremonies. It was a simple contraption- a wooden book holder that could be folded into a single sheet, small enough to slide into a shoulder bag. His fellow lay monks, enchanted by the creation, asked him to make some for them as well. Motivated by the appreciation he got for his simple wood book stand, he decided and finally converted all his furniture into collapsible foldable contraptions that could be easily moved aside when not in use.
Kinzang, then designed Bhutan’s first locally produced foldable furniture in 2006- two folding tables- that were built without using a single nail, neither metal nor wood. However, in lack of any industrial design protection laws in Bhutan, he had to wait for obtaining patent for the invention he made. When in May last year, the law came into force, he was accepted as an important contributor towards the making of novel design of the foldable wood furniture. He then resigned from his police job and took to full time carpentry.
The Principle Behind Collapsible Wood Furniture
Presently, Kinzang Wangdi works on a small plot of leased land in Gidakom, 17 km from Thimphu. In his small workshop, he makes various items ranging from photo frames to foldable furniture. He constructs his collapsible contraptions without using a single nail. He hand carves the necessary joints into a single block of wood. The movable joints are then attached to other pieces to create collapsible table, chair or any other piece of furniture. He is currently looking for space in Thimphu to set up his shop and is also planning to hold an exhibition in Thimphu soon.
Source: Foldable furniture Bhutanese style
