My Story

Why did I choose to make this?

When I was a kid, my family didn’t have much money, so toys were something we rarely bought.

But my father would sometimes carve small wooden animals for me, and my grandfather—a sailor living by the sea—would make larger wooden toys whenever I visited his coastal village.

Those were the first toys I ever truly loved.

But the person who shaped my childhood the most was my grandfather.

He lived in the countryside while I grew up in the city, so I could only visit him once in a while.

Every time I went back to see him, he would have something waiting for me — a wooden toy he had carved by hand.

They weren’t small decorations. They were big wooden toys a child could really play with.

Sometimes they were animals. Sometimes strange and playful creations.

My favorite was a large wooden sword shaped like a fish, almost like something a knight might carry in a story.

To anyone else it might have looked simple.

But to me it was incredible.

I carried it everywhere and proudly showed it off to my friends.

Those were probably the most simple and joyful days of my life.

As I grew older, life became busier, and those childhood days slowly faded into memory.

Then when I was in middle school, my grandfather became ill with dementia.

Little by little, the memories in his mind began to disappear.

One day he looked at me, confused, and could no longer recognize who I was.

I will never forget that moment.

Not long after that, he passed away.

Years later, I returned to the old house in the countryside and tried to find those wooden toys again.

I searched everywhere — drawers, boxes, corners of the house.

But I couldn’t find them.

They were probably lost somewhere during childhood.

That became one of the biggest regrets of my life.

Because what I had really lost wasn’t just a few wooden toys.

It was a part of my childhood, and a part of my grandfather’s love.

Before I had the chance to grow up and repay him, he was already gone.

Later in life, carrying that regret and those memories with me, I began carving wooden animals myself.

I wanted to carve something deeper into the wood — the simple joy of childhood, the love of family, the quiet poetry of life.

Because when we grow old and look back on our lives, the most valuable things are never the things we owned.

They are the memories and emotions we shared with the people we love.

That is why I create these pieces.

My hope is that one day you might give one of them to someone you care about.

A small reminder to pass on love while we still can.

So that when we look back someday, our lives will be filled with memories — not regrets.

That was the beginning of MARINER POET.

Who We Are？

My family roots are in Dongyang, a city in eastern China long known for its woodcarving tradition.

Dongyang woodcarving has a history of more than a thousand years and is recognized as one of the four great woodcarving traditions of China. In 2013, Dongyang was named the “World Capital of Woodcarving” by an international panel of experts.

Today the city remains the largest center for wooden craftsmanship and rosewood furniture in China, with generations of artisans carrying forward its rich carving heritage.

Growing up in this environment, woodcarving was always quietly present in my life. Watching wood slowly transform into animals, stories, and living forms through patient hands shaped the way I see wood today — not just as a material, but as something capable of holding memory, imagination, and life.

Later in life, I also had the opportunity to exchange ideas with many woodcarvers and craftsmen from Europe and North America. Those conversations opened another perspective: the artistic language of wood.

Since then, I have been exploring how the refined craftsmanship of Dongyang woodcarving can meet the artistic sensibilities of Western design — combining tradition and imagination to create wooden works that speak across cultures.

That exploration eventually became part of what MARINER POET is today.

Mariner Poet is an international design-led brand dedicated to handcrafted kinetic art.

The brand is officially registered in the United States and operates through creative and development teams across multiple countries. This global structure allows us to approach each work with a clear creative identity while remaining open to diverse cultural perspectives.

Our handcrafted pieces are created through long-term collaboration with our core partners. Mariner Poet works closely with several professional studios — not as suppliers, but as creative partners who share authorship, design responsibility, and craftsmanship.

How We Create

Mariner Poet was never meant to be about mass production or static products.

Most works begin with creative concepts and narratives initiated by Mariner Poet, which are then jointly designed, refined, and handcrafted together with our studio partners. Design, engineering, and craftsmanship are treated as one continuous and evolving process.

Some pieces may appear across different platforms during their early stages as part of creative exploration and real-world testing. This allows us to understand how a work lives beyond the workshop — how it moves, how people respond to it, and how it evolves over time.

At the same time, as our designs gain visibility, unauthorized imitations may also appear on certain platforms. These products are not produced, curated, or approved by Mariner Poet, and they do not reflect our standards of material, craftsmanship, or creative intent.

For us, originality is not defined by appearing in only one place.
It is defined by creative authorship — who initiates the idea, who shapes the narrative, and who guides how a work is created, refined, and understood.

Looking Ahead

As Mariner Poet continues to grow, our focus is gradually expanding.

We are exploring new directions through:

• Limited editions

• Collaborations with museums and cultural institutions

• Context-driven creations with clear narratives

At the same time, we hope to contribute to a broader ecosystem around wooden kinetic art.

An ecosystem where designers, craftsmen, storytellers, and cultural spaces can come together — allowing wood, motion, and imagination to evolve beyond individual objects.

Our ambition is not simply to create more pieces.

It is to help cultivate a living landscape of wooden art.

So that every work carries a deeper sense of place, meaning, and identity.

Our Philosophy

From the very beginning, our goal has been simple:
to make sure every customer feels happy—not just when they receive our product, but throughout the entire journey.

For us, selling is not just about the object itself.
We believe we are offering an experience, a feeling, and a sense of care. From the moment an order is placed, we do our best to make the process reassuring and transparent. We provide real-time shipping support, and whenever a customer asks about their delivery, we personally check and update them. If a shipping issue arises, we address it promptly and work toward a solution that truly benefits the customer.

If a product arrives damaged or with a quality issue, we take responsibility without hesitation. We don’t avoid problems—we solve them. Because what matters to us is not the transaction, but the final experience the customer walks away with.

Creating beautiful objects is important to us.
But creating a positive and joyful experience is what we truly stand for.

Sharing the feeling

Now I just want to share that feeling with you. Maybe you’ll pass it on to someone you love.

We’re also building something bigger.

If you believe in what we’re creating and want to grow with us long term,
we’re always open to partnering with the right people.

Work With MARINER POET

Become an Affiliate

Share the story and earn commission.

👉 Join the Program

Carry MARINER POET

Bring mechanical creatures to your store.

👉 Wholesale & Retail Inquiry