Meet Kagen Sound, the Award-Winning Designer Behind the World’s Most Intricate Puzzle Boxes



Design
Documentary

#Kagen Sound
#puzzles
#video
#wood

February 2, 2024

Grace Ebert



As a child, Kagen Sound crafted a cardboard puzzle box that, to open, required the user to move a piece hidden within the work. The Rubik’s Cube-esque project sparked a lifelong passion for the designer, who’s now known worldwide for his wildly intricate patterns and sequences.

In a new documentary, the Wired team visits Sound’s garage studio, where he walks viewers through his process and workspace. Melding his background in math with 20 years of woodworking experience, the designer uses simple joinery techniques to formulate springs, geometric slides, and elegant motifs made with interlaced materials. “A lot of times if I can determine a finish for a particular kind of wood, it will unlock a project in itself,” he says. Containing secret mechanisms and maneuvers, these mind-boggling works have brought Sound international recognition as one of the best puzzle box designers in the world.

Watch the short documentary above, and check out Sound’s Instagram and YouTube to see his projects in action. (via The Kids Should See This)

 

a gif of two hands shifting mechanisms in a wooden puzzle box

two hands hold a square wooden box titled "The Pinwheel Box"

a video still showing drawn diagrams and notes pinned to a wall with some wooden mockups nearby

#Kagen Sound
#puzzles
#video
#wood

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, read articles and newsletters ad-free, sustain our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited-edition print releases, and much more. Join now!