In the mountains, the bright red round flowers of the camellia attract the eye. The seeds yield oil, and children used to play with them by rubbing the tips of the seeds against a hard stone, making a hole, and removing the contents to make a whistle. The tassels that used to contain the seeds are so beautifully shaped that they could be mistaken for accessories or handicrafts.

One day, I was given a large camellia log. The wood was white, fine-grained, and super hard. The bark was so smooth that there was almost no cork layer, and it was probably impossible for insects to get in. I lay the logs in my studio, wondering if I could make the most of their hardness and whitness.