Urushi・漆・Lacquer
Projects

Urushi—word for lacquer in Japanese—have been used as a form of adhesive dating all the way back to Jōmon Period, between
c. 14,000 and 300 BC. Throughout the years, many different uses of urushi have developed and some have come to be considered as traditional Japanese crafts.

Among some of these wondrous traditional crafts utilizing urushi, of which I have fallen in love with and exploring, are kintsugi (金継ぎ) and maki-é (蒔絵). Maki-é utilizes urushi and powdered metal, such as silver, gold, brass and other reflective beauties like shells as means of decorating lacquerwear and various other objects. Kintsugi is a way, mending objects that has experienced breaks, chips, and cracks using urushi and other natural materials, transforming what may be considered flaws to be celebrated.

Urushi requires a lot of patience and a specific environment to set. When those requirements are met, the strength and beauty is something extraordinary and feels synonymous with that of human strength and resilience. This quality brings depth to the process, and something that keeps me engaged to further explore urushi’s possibilities.

Sampling of these urushi based works can be viewed by clicking on the icons below: