Furniture is Art. That is the mantra and mission statement for Jeremy Kamiya, maker of fine furniture in High Point. As he stands in his workshop, Jeremy speaks with conviction about his woodworking ideology.
He refers to his method as jazz-like, prioritizing exploration and letting the creative flow guide him. Surrounded by half-constructed pillars of walnut for his “Shelf of Drawers” design, it is apparent that this is the domain of an artist.
Jeremy began down this path about ten years ago, shortly after he and his wife, Irene, moved to the U.S. from Bali. Together they launched a business importing handmade furniture from Bali, Indonesia to Durham, NC. But he grew to feel like something of a waiter – he would deliver food to a gracious customer, but he wasn't the one in the kitchen.
When asked if he made the piece, Jeremy wanted the answer to be “yes.” In 2014 he built his first handcrafted wood piece: the sign for their import store.
That taste of woodcraft led to an interest in deconstructing the imported pieces to understand how they were built. Taking things apart deepened his curiosity. He learned to build by unbuilding. Through this approach, he learned the physical and functional needs of a piece of furniture first. A surface upon which art could take shape.
With a professional background in graphic design and photography, Jeremy was already acquainted with his own artistic drive.
This meant he wasn’t burdened by a questioning of his purpose when seeking a creative outlet, he just shifted the medium.
A quick learner, by 2016 Jeremy progressed from deconstruction and honing his skills to creating his own furniture art. “I set out to make something that has never been made before. Something special. And beautiful, at least in my eyes.”
Jeremy speaks about his process in almost poetic terms. Fitting forms together has deep meaning. There is an integrity to his process that prioritizes the wood itself over easier construction methods.
"Pieces are married together by fit, peacefully, not by force. What needs to be removed to fit together is removed. To fit together."
He also rejects nails, screws, and metal fasteners. He doesn’t use stain, he wants the natural beauty and grain of the wood to shine, to be “honest.” This approach serves as a rebuttal against furniture as a consumable, an ideal that makes the creation process more difficult. But Jeremy believes that difficult things are worth doing because they are hard to replicate.
That perspective serves Jeremy well as a maker in High Point. While it may appear daunting to be a small-scale artist surrounded by world-class furniture giants, it is precisely that reason that he is able to make his mark. His work is clearly artistic, more readily distinguished from mass-market production.
Standing out in High Point requires a bit more. Jeremy needed a physical portfolio that demonstrates he can deliver at a professional level; to articulate what makes his work special.
For a maker working with premium materials and investing significant time into each project, scaling up from individual custom orders to catalog pieces can be a restrictive upfront cost. With an Artist Support Grant from The ACGG, Jeremy was able to purchase the walnut needed for a new collection for Kamiya Furniture: a dining table, a bench, and a chair.
The grant will play a crucial role in this next project, allowing him to create the inventory necessary to present at the High Point Market in Fall 2026. The grant has also added improvisational flexibility. Jeremy says of his creativity, "The creative process is an exploration process. You can't be too afraid to make a mistake."
As Jeremy discusses his upcoming plans, he can’t help but fawn over his favorite part of the furniture-making process – the final oiling. "Not because it’s over. It’s the final oiling when the grain is revealed. When it really comes to life." It is the moment where the "uncut gem" of the once rough wood shows its true character, when labor and creative vision finally come together as art.
To learn more about Jeremy's work, please visit his website here, or his instagram account, thoughtfully named: Furniture is Art, here.
