What is a Blacksmith? Traditionally, a blacksmith is a skilled craftsman who shapes tools, construction parts, and intricate artwork from iron and various metals.

Iron has played a crucial role in human progress, and without blacksmiths, the modern civilization and culture we know today would not exist.

Since the Industrial Revolution, automation has replaced many manual labor jobs, and with the continued rise of A.I. technology, that trend is expected to intensify.

Once a vital profession that helped shape the modern world, blacksmithing now sees a decline in human practitioners year after year.

My journey into the world of blacksmithing began in 2012 when I first visited a blacksmith workshop in Estonia. Initially captivated by the aesthetic beauty of the craft, I soon became fascinated by the blacksmiths' way of life and began to reflect on how their work has contributed to shaping the modern world.

Over the next eight years, I visited more than 20 workshops and 4 blacksmith schools in Estonia. My research eventually took me to 22 countries and over 250 locations, as I sought to document the survival of blacksmithing traditions in the modern age. I found Estonia particularly rich in practicing blacksmiths compared to other places.

As I traveled and researched diverse cultures, I became increasingly curious about the reasons behind their distinctive practices and began to document the differences in processes and styles.

Through my research, I noticed striking similarities across regions and generations of blacksmiths. Like any craft, some blacksmiths strive to preserve tradition, others incorporate modern technology into their work, and some adapt by turning their craft into a form of entertainment. The idea of losing this revered art to technology is undeniably tragic.

Personally, I believe that blacksmithing is one of humanity’s most significant historical achievements. I will continue to observe and document this craft, expressing my passion for it through photography.