Master Junichi Hakose is a Japanese Lacquer artist specialized in maki-e. All of his works are created and manufactured to be used daily by the customers and not to be left in them a cabinet. They are elegant and yet easy to use design.
Master Lacquer Artist Junichi Hakose Exhibition “- Maki-e Past and Present – ” at WAKO Ginza (Nov. 2015)
“Maki-e Past & Present ”
In Nov. 2015, Master lacquerwork artist Mr. Junichi Hakose held an exhibition at the WAKO Ginza; the most prestigious department store in Japan.
Mr. Hakose had been preparing for this exhibition for five years, since he had exhibited total of 711 pieces of work, which is phenomenal!
Japanese Sake vessel by Junichi Hakose presented at WAKO Ginza Display
This was also a memorial exhibition for Mr. Hakose, since he had become 60 years of age in 2015. And also this was his second time exhibition at WAKO Ginza after 10 years since he had memorial exhibition at the age of 50.
The result of the exhibition was very successful. Having WAKO manager to say; “Even on weekdays, the customers are continuously flowing into this sixth floor all day. It is a very rare case, especially for this kind of lacquerware exhibition.”
The “Renge (蓮華)” spoon which he had made 100 pieces, each was unique, for this exhibition were amazing best seller, which sold all the pieces in 3 days during the 10 days exhibition.
As one of the highlights in the exhibition, there was a new collection of small black saucers with maki-e called ”Sceneries of Tokyo”. It had 40 symbolic places of past and present Tokyo with Mr. Hakose’s unique point of view. In its works, there was scenery of Ginza where the construction cranes are working to build a building! That was truly extraordinary and out of the box theme that no one had ever tried on a traditional gold and silver sprinkled maki-e lacquerware !
Mr. Hakose mentioned that he really put efforts with the finest techniques to express “the present” of Tokyo, hoping it resonates with the viewers heart to Tokyo, that may become “the past” in the future. He also add that he really enjoyed the creation and wishing from his heart that the customers would enjoy actually using them now.
箱瀬淳一展 蒔絵今昔 銀座和光
Those challenges that Master Junichi Hakose has done shows how he is innovative in the Japanese lacquerwork art scene. Truly amazing and leaving that he is a true craftsman !
Mr. Junichi Hakose（箱瀬淳一） at his workshop Hakose Koubou in Wajima. (photo copyright: Kogei Styling)
It was late September when we visited Master Junichi Hakose (箱瀬淳一) at his work shop, Hakose Koubou (箱瀬工房) in Wajima (輪島), Ishikawa-prefecture.
Mother of pearls “Raden(螺鈿)” work made on the lid of large sake vessel.
At that time, he was extremely busy preparing for the coming exhibition at WAKO Ginza, Tokyo, which will be the one of the largest exhibition in his life time. He plans to exhibit his works of more than 600 pieces, basically all newly created for the exhibition.
The WAKO exhibition is schedule to be held in Nov.21(Sat) – Nov.30(Mon) this year.
Fine lacquer line for maki-e (sprinkles of gold) expressing string of Japanese harp. He writes very fast without any base drawings.
In order fulfill the depth of the exhibition, Mr. Hakose was in his challenge to create further new world of expression with maki-e decoration designs. He was especially challenging with maki-e theme under his big theme of Maki-e Past & Present. Of course he had many of his standard maki-e design theme from his past original expressions, however that was not enough for the size of the challenge, also along with the passion to pave a new way.
This is a target image to create with maki-e on the box. Inspirational motifs and colors cut out from magazines to create collage image onto his “Collage series” box.
So Mr. Hakose created several special new series. One was called “Collage”, which is really a collage of images from past and present of Japanese culture and lifestyles. He was actively working on this “Collage series” when we visited his place.
Mr. Hakose cutting out image and color samples, that inspires his mind, from magazines with lots of Japanese cultural historical information.
Mr. Hakose was a little nervous for structuring collage images on each different piece. Yes, you would understand why he was a little nervous when you see the created results using the cutout image. They were extremely extraordinary, which I think no one had ever seen such design maki-e lacquerware. Such that one had alphabet words taken from an English newspaper and the other had just big number “2”and “1” in a Gothic type font in the middle of a box.
Mr. Junichi Hakose （箱瀬淳一）working on deciding a design of Collage series on a small round case.Mr. Junichi Hakose (箱瀬淳一) working on maki-e (sprinkles of gold) to create “Collage series ” box. Combination of the gold spiral and mat gray geometrical shape is unique!
Mr. Hakose swiftly works on his creations one by one; while guiding his several apprentices how they should carry out the tasks he had given.
The “Collage series” was coming out in a very unique and modern way, like shown in right, with real new ways of expression in the lacquerware.
Although he had been preparing for this exhibition for more than three years with full speed, still he had many unfinished pieces left to decide the design and to do maki-e decorations with the deadline being extremely close by.
Master Junichi Hakose (箱瀬淳一). Thinking……..
However amazingly there was no compromise in his taking time to pursue and challenge the limit of his creativity without any rushes.
He would stop working and gaze at the object with a stern look for a while and then start working again.
Mr.Hakose had another totally new series with a methodology that he had never tried before. It was to use a free flow of colored urushi lacquer. In the world of painting it is very common to use free flow of liquid paint; however it is very uncommon in the lacquerware industry. It was also first time for us to see the methodology.
“Lotus Under the Sun” large round plate. Mr. Hakose (箱瀬) working on a free flow of red lacquer to express the reflection of the sunset on water.
Mr.Hakose was preparing several pieces of large thick round plate with lotus on water design and he said that the free flows of red and blue colored lacquers are an expression of the sunset reflecting on the water.
After working on couple of plates of free flow red lacquers with couple of streaks from one direction each, he tried the next plate with one flow from one side and the other from the opposite side.
“Lotus Under the Sun” large round plate. Mr. Hakose (箱瀬) finishing edges of the reflection using free flow of red and blue colored lacquer.
At first, I thought that would mess up the whole impression. But, the result was not !
The dual direction one was the best piece. He also thought so and he was very happy with the result and said; “You never know unless you actually do, you need to try everything to get a better outcome!”. I agreed!
The pieces were very new and modern and looked good. However they still were expected to have many more processes before complete. Woo, still long way.
Unfinished middle size plate for WAKO Exhibition. It is a piece from the special series for the exhibition “40 Sceneries of Tokyo (東京四十景) “
Cheers to Mr. Hakose’s challenge!
Please keep up the excellent work!!
We will expect to see the WAKO Exhibition !!!
Introducing Japanese lacquerware / lacquerwork, to people around the world
