Meet Takeshi Yonezawa

We were lucky to catch up with Takeshi Yonezawa recently and have shared our conversation below.

TAKESHI, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Building confidence —not overconfidence—is incredibly important, but doing so takes time. In my opinion, confidence comes from accumulating experiences, personal growth, and, most importantly, gaining a deeper understanding of oneself.

I believe that leveraging strengths and building upon small successes helped naturally develop my confidence and self-esteem. I found that accepting my weaknesses as they are made things much easier. Additionally, having a supportive family, friends, and mentors plays a crucial role in my journey.

Art is a reflection of the artist and their life. If it is only about showcasing skills and knowledge, it can feel empty. That’s why I believe true artistry comes from personal experiences and emotions. I look forward to continued personal growth and I am grateful to be able to pursue my passion for leather artwork here in the U.S.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My name is Takeshi Yonezawa, but everyone calls me “Yone.” I have been doing leatherwork for over twenty years and I specialize in bespoke leather goods and lifelike art sculptures. I have learned from master craftsmen from both Japan and the US, and I try to mix those influences and cultures to create my own unique and powerful style.

If I were to describe myself as an artist, I’d say that I have the curiosity of a child, an observational eye, and am meticulous – I obsess the details or nuances others often overlook or rush past.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

If I were to name the three most impactful events in my life, the first would be giving up my dream of becoming a professional musician. As I approached age 30, I came to the painful realization that I lacked the fundamental knowledge and technical skills required to succeed as a professional musician. It was a frustrating experience, but I made a strong commitment to myself: I would not make the same mistakes in my next challenge so there is a balance of art and science, where I create but also spend a lot of time learning.

The second turning point was deciding to train under master craftsman, Mr. Nakasuji. As a specialist in reptile leather, he not only taught me the techniques to skillfully control leather but also instilled in me a deep respect for craftsmanship. Through him, I learned the importance of paying attention to the finest details and facing materials with sincerity—this became the foundation of my work as a craftsman.

The third life-changing event was moving to the United States after getting married. My environment changed completely, and I had to start from scratch. However, even after turning 30, I was able to gain many new experiences, making each day fulfilling. I started with nothing, but after ten years of persistence, I managed to gain recognition in the industry. The realization that I am steadily moving forward, even if slowly, has been a great source of motivation.

From these three experiences, I have learned the importance of valuing the fundamentals, maintaining a lifelong learning mindset, and embracing failure and change. No matter what path we take, I believe that keeping these principles in mind will always lead to growth.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I believe that we should focus on maximizing our strengths because they inform and influence our differentiators and competitive advantage(s).

While it may be important to develop a broad range of general skills and knowledge, I believe that what matters even more is deeply understanding ourselves and fully exploring the areas that ignite our passion. This pursuit is what shapes our originality and identity, ultimately leading to the creation of unique value that cannot be found elsewhere.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://yonezawaleather.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/yonezawaleather
• Facebook: yonezawaleather

Image Credits

Katy Weaver, Paul Wegman, Sam Ortega