Designing a product and figuring out each production step; the result is layers of lacquer, and deep lustrous colors
Lacquer Artist Urushi Itteki Ms. Asako Ouchi
All over Japan, there are lacquerware craft traditions. The most famous lacquerwares are Wajima nuri, Aizu nuri, and Tsugaru nuri. Of course, there are also lacquerware crafts in Kyoto, Kamakura, and Tokyo. I didn’t know that there was one in Ise. However, since that’s where Ise Jingu shrine is, there are lacquer products such as asagutsu (low shoes worn by Shinto priests); and Ise Shunkei (the lacquerware of Ise), which is a tradition that was interrupted for some time.
I used to design sportswear
“I made asagutsu for two years,” Ms. Asako Ouchi, the lacquer artist, tells us. “I left that job when the master craftsperson passed away.”
I asked her where she learned the lacquer techniques.
“I used to design sportswear. After I studied clothing design in the Clothing Department at Bunka Fashion College, I worked as a women’s sportswear designer for a sportswear company. While working there, I felt uncomfortable with the way the products were mechanically mass-produced, and consumed by solely fashion-conscious customers. I started thinking that I wanted to create something that lasts. Therefore, I made up my mind to sit an entrance exam for an art university.”
I asked whether she came across lacquer craft at the art university.
“Well, unfortunately, I failed the exam. But then, my professor in the prep school who was a lacquer artist told me about lacquer craft. And that inspired me to learn it. That was why I went to study at Kagawa Urushi Lacquerware Institute.”
Ms. Ouchi in casual conversationFor the first time in Kagawa, learning the charm, the beauty, and the pain of urushi
When the sap of the urushi lacquer tree is applied to the surface of an object, it creates a finish that repels water. That is why, for centuries, it has been applied to everyday goods. Even today, there are many items that are finished with the sap of the urushi, such as bowls, chopsticks, trays, and jubako (multi-tiered food boxes). Japanese people used lacquer technique with gold, silver, and shell attachments to beautifully decorate boxes (for documents, clothes and so on), musical instruments, sword sheaths, and armor.
However, it’s common for people to have an allergic reaction when they touch the urushi tree and its sap. By scratching it, they can spread the rash all over their body. Lacquer craftspeople who come into contact with it on a regular basis can tolerate it. But for beginners it is harsh.
“It was terrible. At one point the rash was on my face, too. My teacher said that I shouldn’t force myself to continue. But I didn’t stop, because I felt so attracted to lacquer craft.”
During the training period, even through a difficult time like this, she was able to persist. I asked her why she was so attracted to lacquer art.
“It was the wide range of possibilities in lacquer art. All over Japan, there are lacquer craft traditions, and their techniques differ. The technique I learned at the school is a rare one in Japan: firstly, you must have an image of the finished product; then you need to plan a schedule of alternately coating the object with the sap of urushi, and then carving it. You repeat the lacquering and the carving numerous times over a period of several months. When I manage to create what I have pictured in my mind, that gives me great joy.”
Accessory designs
Work in progress
AccessoriesSanuki lacquerware, established in the Edo period
Sanuki lacquerware was initiated in the late Edo period, and three distinctive techniques (kinma, choshitsu, and zonsei) were developed by Zokoku Tamakaji.
“The technique I am practicing now is kinma. I prime and clean the surface of the material, and then, after lacquering it, I leave it in a room called a muro until it is dry. The lacquer won’t dry unless it is warm and moist. Therefore, I need to adjust the temperature and the humidity in the muro. I repeat lacquering and drying many times. Lacquering once makes a 0.03mm layer. Lacquering 10 times makes 0.3mm. After carving decorative patterns on the lacquered background, I fill the incised lines with colored lacquer. Then, I polish the surface to reveal the design.”
Resource: Takamatsu Art Museum/Three Steps of Sanuki Lacquerware Technique
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/museum/takamatsu/collection/sanuki.html
I want to make expensive lacquerware fit better into our everyday life
The accessories in the photo are the products Ms. Ouchi created for a fair in a department store in Nagoya at the beginning of 2021. It was an event by Link, a craftswomen’s group in the Tokai region.
“Many people think that lacquerware is expensive and ornamental. Just like fine art, it takes skill and a lot of time; going through many steps. Therefore, it is quite expensive. But lacquerware isn’t fine art; it’s something you can hold in your hands. I want my customers to feel the beauty and the rich expression created through these traditional techniques.”
The artists in Tokowaka and Link are her inspiration for new ideas. These days, they upload their videos to YouTube, and they hold Zoom meetings.
“When I work alone, I lose track of time. Therefore, at work, we talk to each other, and we take breaks together. These days, I create small mirrors, accessories, and accessory cases with my original designs, which are not constrained by the conventional image of lacquer. In the future, I would like to design something fashionable, something that makes you feel like buying for every season, and something that will make its way into overseas markets.”
Ms. Ouchi collaborates with various craftspeople. Using new materials will further enrich and expand her career. I am sure that her lacquerware will always retain its fine and bright colors.
ガラスの漆加工 urushi×glass〝IROIRO〟
Lacquer Artist Urushi Itteki
Ms. Asako Ouchi
Lacquer Artist Urushi Itteki Ms. Asako Ouchi
Born in Chiba. After graduating from Bunka Fashion College, she worked as a sportswear designer. However, since she wished to create artwork skillfully by hand, she became a lacquer artist after studying at Kagawa Urushi Lacquerware Institute. When she moved to Mie Prefecture, she learned the technique to make asagutsu—low shoes worn by Shinto priests. She hopes that by expressing herself through her lacquer artwork, she will inspire more people, and that they will become aware of the urushi lacquer craft tradition. She is also an active member of the young artisans’ groups Tokowaka and Link.