Latest Lacquerwork Artists’ Exhibition at WAKO Ginza

On January 26 and 27, 2018, I was at one of the most energetic and modern lacquerwork exhibition held at WAKO department store in Ginza,Tokyo

The exhibition was titled “The Present of Lacquer Art (漆芸の現在形)” and featured five latest urushi lacquer artists in Japan.

The featured artists are;

Mr. Kodo Aoki (青木 宏憧)               born 1976

Mr. Shinsuke Aoki (青木 伸介)       born 1977

Mr. Yoshino Takamasa (吉野 貴将)   born 1976

Mr. Shinpei Matsuzaki (松崎 森平)  born 1981

Mr. Ken Hiwatashi (樋渡 賢)        born 1977

Their exhibition at WAKO was very exciting and successful with many guests coming. The art areas of these five artists work are very much different. The only commonality is that  they love working with urushi lacquer and creative in using them.  Please keep an eye on them, they will really fly in the coming future.

I’m afraid that I can not show you the atmosphere of the exhibition, since any photos were prohibited at WAKO. 

WAKO’s site on this exhibition in Japanese ;      https://www.wako.co.jp/exhibitions/572

Following photos are from above WAKO’s site page;

Kodo Aoki Japanese Urushi Lacquer Artist

青木宏憧 (Kodo Aoki )
守箱しゅばこ 「氷雲」(39.5×60× H32㎝)
Shubako “Hyoun (Ice cloud)”

Shinsuke Aoki Japanese Urushi Lacquer Artist

青木伸介 (Shinsuke Aoki)
「イザナ」(3号F)
“Izana”

Takamasa Yoshino Japanese Urushi Lacquer Artist

吉野貴将 (Takamasa Yoshino)
脱活乾漆偶像「悠悠」(16×16×H23㎝)
Hollow dry lacquer statue “Yuu Yuu”

Shinpei Matsuzaki Japanese Urushi Lacquer Artist

松崎森平 (Shinpei Matsuzaki)
「Forest」(37×52㎝)
“Forest”

Ken Hiwatashi Japanese Urushi Lacquer Artist

樋渡 賢 (Ken Hiwatashi)
「菊螺鈿杯」(Dia6×H2.5㎝)
“Kiku Raden Hai (Mother of pearls Sakazuki of Chrysanthemum) “

Since there are no English translations available regarding this exhibition from the WAKO site, I have translated WAKO’s Introductory preface of the Exhibition as follows;

< Introductory preface of the “The Present of Lacquer Art” >

” In this exhibition, we are introducing young lacquer artists with brilliant achievements. At a time when the opportunities to use lacquerware in daily life is becoming less and less, it is really encouraging for the future of Japan to see the presence of these young artists in Japan who are working with Japanese urushi lacquer in their own creative way.

The works in this exhibition are made of the same materials such as lacquer, gold dust, and shells, but they have various shapes. The techniques employed are in wide varieties, such as wood joinery, wood carving using a lathe and dry lacquer modeling, as well as decorative techniques such as maki-e, raden, metal attaching, unconventional lacquer painting, lacquer coating, every work is highly skilled specialized works of craftsmen.

The three artists, Kodo Aoki, Shinsuke Aoki, Takamasa Yoshino were classmates at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and they work hard together, learning from each other and they are teaching juniors at their alma mater. They attracted attention early on. Shinsuke Aoki’s work on his undergraduate, Kodo Aoki on his master’s course, Takamasa Yoshino in his doctor’s course, their final project works were purchased by the University’s museum. The success of the three men after that is well known to the public.

Shinpei Matsuzaki, who is a little younger graduate of the same Univertity of the above three, made full use of woodworking, lacquerware, dyeing and weaving, and metalworking techniques in his graduation project. It was highly acclaimed. Even today, his works, which make skillful use of mother of pearls, are highly regarded by many lacquer enthusiasts.

Ken Hiwatashi, born in a lacquerware manufacturing family, learned to make maki-e lacquerware at the Ishikawa Prefectural Wajima Institute of Lacquerware Art and Design and is now a master lacquerware craftsman. He is one of the most outstanding artists of his generation in terms of the works he has created.

The world created by the combination of these five artists’ works will be a world of new Japanese beauty through lacquer. We are looking forward to the next generation to share it with the rest of the world.”

– WAKO site translation by Kogei Styling –.
The Exhibition was held:   Jan.26, 2018 (Fri) ~ Feb. 4, 2018 (Sun)

O-wan that survived the deadly Kumamoto Earthquake

It was the midnight;1:25 AM of April 16 2016, one of the worst earthquakes in the Japanese history hit Kumamoto city in the Kyushu Island, where my father & mother-in-law lives. (main earthquake magnitude M7.3, earthquake  source was 10 km directly below the city)

And It was their 2nd time, only after 28 hours from the very first historically huge earthquake(M6.5) for Kumamoto city that hit on 9:26 PM, April 14, 2017 that changed Kumamoto forever.

After the Kumamoto Earthquake inside the house was a total disaster
After the Kumamoto Earthquake inside the house was a total disaster

My father recalls that the second hit was much more intense than the first. Expressing the experience as you are inside the tumbling washing machine. All the furniture and items in the room were upside down and mixed completely. Luckily large bookshelf missed my father’ head by several cm.

Even with that situation, thanks to my father’s  light steel framed three storied house, his house itself survived the quakes.

One old type house was completely destroyed very closed to my father’s house

Relatively old type houses nearby were smashed and destroyed. (luckily no people died in the area).

On April 16, I was at least relieved to hear that my father & mother survived the second quake, but was very worried about what they went through, imaging huge exhaustion and big fears after their constructive effort of recovery from the first quake that totally ended in vain, and experiencing unimaginable 2nd one.

On April 17, I left Tokyo for Kumamoto city, which is about 1200 ㎞ far, in my car with many items loaded to help my old father & mother.

I do not go into the details what I had seen and experienced in Kumamoto, but one symbolic destruction that that I would like to share here is a heavily cracked and destroyed Wajima lacquerware o-wan by Wajimaya Zen-ni. It was a present to my mother couple of years back. The o-wan was smashed along with other porcelains dishes that broke into pieces. Mother told me and she added that she was very sorry for the result.

The broken o-wan (meshi-wan ichimonji) by Wajimaya Zen-ni. The cracks were serious and chipped. The black layer is the urushi lacquer coating layers. You see how thick that is.

With this destroyed o-wan, I told my my mother that it may not be possible with so many cracks, but I will send to Wajima if it could be repaired and you do not feel sorry for it.

After 7 months of effort by craftsmen of Wajimaya Zen-ni, as you see in below the o-wan is completely repaired as if it were new and you do not see any traces from the destruction. You feel a slight bump in the periphery when you touch the o-wan carefully, and it is the only proof.

The o-wan was totally remade by Wajimaya Zen-ni. First polishing off all the coated urushi lacquer layer. Then apply attachment to missing portion and adhering cracks with urushi and reform the shape. And then, re-coat all the urushi layers again. Wow, that's more than making a new one!
The o-wan was totally remade by Wajimaya Zen-ni. First polishing off all the coated urushi lacquer layer. Then apply attachment to missing portion and adhering cracks with urushi and reform the shape. And then, re-coat all the urushi layers again. Wow, that’s more than making a new one!  (cracked position is where the arrow shows )

Just a year has past from the Kumamoto earthquake. Luckily my father & mother have somewhat recovered from the disaster and slowly gaining back to their normal life. The o-wan is in back in their shelf again.

Like the Wajima lacquerware there are things that you can repair and recover, and I’m totally proud of them.   However there are also many thing that just can not be recovered. People who lost loved ones or the land itself or such as a house of  heritage and so on. They are still suffering to gain back their life.

We can only wish the very best to them.

Gambare Kumamoto (がんばれ、熊本)!!