The collected urushi sap is gathered into wooden buckets and left to rest for a while. As fermentation progresses, it begins to foam and pushes up against the lid, releasing a sweet and sour aroma. This fermentation is caused by anaerobic bacteria that live in the bark fragments (called igoso) that enter the sap when it is harvested from the tree. Even after the tree’s life as a plant has ended, unrefined ki-urushi (“raw urushi”) continues to undergo quiet transformations in the dark bucket, aided by microorganisms.
The urushi is then taken to a lacquer wholesaler for refining. Traditionally, this process was called nayashi and kurome, and was carried out by hand under the sun on clear days. By stirring, heating, and evaporating moisture, the components are evened out, producing a beautiful amber color and a high-quality lacquer film. This refined lacquer is called suki-urushi, which is then mixed with pigments such as iron to create colored and black lacquers. The works shown in this exhibition use multiple kinds of lacquer produced through this process.

When I work with urushi in my studio, things often do not go exactly as I expect—its behavior changes with the season, with the temperature and humidity, and with subtle differences in mixing. But because it gives me these reactions, I have come to think of urushi as “one of us” participating in the creation. I let nature take its course while intervening little by little; I inflict a wound, and in return I receive its skin irritation—perhaps that is how it should be. We live by making use of everything around us. By accepting the reactions of these materials as if sensing their intentions, and by persistently engaging with them, our accumulated interactions sometimes become established as technique. In this sense, the relationship resembles sake brewing in some ways.

Venue: Manzairaku Sake Brewery (Main Brewery)