Fine Art using natural lacquer

Fine Art

I started to experiment with Echizen-washi after I was presented with some as a gift after a lecture I gave in Fukui. Although the washi was very beautiful, it was far too thick to be used in urushi and whilst it was too valuable to throw away, I felt that as it was, it was lacking something. The beautiful textures in the handmade paper beckoned me to paint on it like a canvas.

Instead of using paint I felt that I would like to try using urushi although it would be a huge extravagance because of the large quantity of urushi needed. The paper guided me as to where to apply the urushi which rapidly soaked into it. After drying the urushi, I found that the painted areas had become waterproof so I was able to build up subsequent layers including application of shell and gold leaf.

Echizen-washi has a history dating back over four hundred years as does the Kanazawa gold leaf production and together with Wajima-nuri techniques, I jokingly call this traditional art but by using these traditional materials in a new way to fit in with modern lifestyles, it has become not only exciting but very rewarding.