Night view surfacing on lacquer work

Lacquer work artist, Miyoshi’s encounter with lacquer work was by chance. Her arts club teacher in high school was a lacquer work instructor. She makes a variety of pieces such as vessels, boxes, and cups; all of which are applied with gold lacquer. Scenes of a city appear on the background of black lacquer. A light illuminating a window, headlights of a car. These lights are expressed with gold lacquer. Gold lacquer glitters, and it becomes even brighter when in layers with the opaque coloring of lacquer.
”When I first came upon the gold lacquer technique, I was inspired with its potential. If I can use all these colors, I felt I should give it a try. In those days I used to go out for drinks, so the night view naturally became the motif.” she laughed and told us how the night view came to be the motif for her work.

Illustrating various motifs

Miyoshi projects various things other than night views on her work. At the time of the interview she was working on her pieces for a exhibition. The motif she was working on was ”Shimacho”. ”Shimacho” is a sample book of ”kimono” patterns from the old days with actual pieces of fabric pasted on it. She illustrated the sample book with lacquer and gold lacquer.
”Where do you get inspiration for the motifs?” asked Nakata. ”Whatever I find interesting, I store it in little compartments in my mind. Not just the scenery, but things like movies, too. I pull them out later and try it on my work.”
She uses things like music for her motif. She herself is familiar with music as she sings Gregorian chants. She has gilded musical notes and musical instruments in gold lacquer. Various motif are introduced into her lacquer work, and it gives her work a certain mystical atmosphere. It is a representation of how she was inspired by the item or event.

New appeal of collaboration

”I want to give you something,” said Miyoshi as she handed Nakata a sommelier knife. The handle was decorated with lacquer and gold lacquer. ”Wow, this is great!” exclaimed Nakata. This piece was a collaboration with Keiji Onizuka, a metal worker. Miyoshi showed us other pieces she collaborated with artists who use different materials. A small box she was planning on exhibiting at Higashi-Nihon Dento Kogei Exhibition. It was already very beautiful with a night view illustrated in gold lacquer inside the box, but Miyoshi showed us a glass lid. When she covered the box with the lid, it seemed like light shone from within, giving it a completely different side to it.
The lid was created by Akira Shirahata, a glass artist in Saitama. At first, the lid was just simple cut glass but Shirahata volunteered to cut the glass. He cut out the glass to bring out little rays of light creating a beautiful collaboration.
Small discoveries ignite Miyoshi’s imagination that are represented in her creative activities, and the resulting pieces are something to look forward to.

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Shells shine like a rainbow.

When Yoshiaki Taguchi is introduced, he is frequently introduced as ”Lacquer craftwork artist”. What does one imagine from the word ”lacquer”. A smooth and shiny lacquer painted bowl. Or maybe lacquer boxes painted red. However, Taguchi’s works are far from these images, because the works shine in rainbow colors.

The reason for that is ”raden”. ”Raden” is the technique of making mother-of-pearl inlays. Because of ”raden” decorations his works shine in rainbow colors.

Expressing the universe.

Nakata looked at the works very keenly. There are pieces that are relatively small like the incense box. The fine designs are drawn by ”raden”, and tiny pieces of mother-of-pearls are pasted one by one.
”The colors of the mother-of-pearls differ depending on the angle they are seen from. I must always have that in mind. I have to bring the prettiest side to the front.”
If such detail are not taken into consideration, this beauty cannot be expressed.
”Do you have a favorite motif?” asked Nakata, and Taguchi replied, ”May be something cosmic.” The blue ”raden” decorated incense box that shone beautifully, was the earth. The tray that holds it is the universe. The ”makie” paintings drawn shone like scattered stars.

Come to know the tradition through hands on experience.

Taguchi’s father, Yoshikuni Taguchi, is certified as Important Intangible Cultural Property holder. Taguchi had learned ”makie” from his father, a Human National Treasure. Taguchi’s works are like the starry sky, and they are made by pasting mother-of-pearls on lacquer, and applying ”makie”.

Nakata was invited to have a try at the ”makie” process, but he was at a loss before the array of materials. ”How should I do it…..,” he pondered. ”You are free to do whatever you like. It’s not a matter of good or bad. Just have a go, then you can appreciate it. Then if you go further and actually use it, then you’ll appreciate the tradition,” Taguchi gave these encouraging words.

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