Ishikawa Prefecture was hit by the earthquake in January last year and the torrential rains in September. Works by lacquer artists and ceramic artists from the prefecture who have overcome these two merciless natural disasters and continue to create are adorning the sixth floor of Seiko House. The exhibition is called "Ishikawa Crafts - Lacquer and Ceramics". Come and see the fruits of the sincere creative work of these craftsmen who have continued to work on their art despite the difficult circumstances.
The encounter between the inherited "Kinrande" technique and new colors ──Ceramics, Yukio Yoshida──
Pale purple, pale green, pale pink... The pale, fleeting colors are in perfect harmony with the brilliance of the gold leaf, and this perfect harmony is covered with a gentle milky white color like a spring mist. It is as if an impressionist painter had used watercolors to paint a light-filled Japanese spring on canvas.
In terms of technique, it is "Kinrande". However, it goes far beyond the conventional concept of "Kinrande". In addition, it is a pottery with a mysterious expression that makes it feel as if it is made of pottery, even though it is made of porcelain. This is the work of Yukihiro Yoshida.


"Golden brocade colored water fingers" diameter 17.5 x height 15.5 cm
Moist colors reminiscent of watercolors and a texture like porcelain
Mr. Yoshida is the fourth generation owner of Kinzangama Kiln, which opened in 1906 in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, the birthplace of Kutani ware, specializing in overglaze painting. His father, the third generation owner, Yoshida Minori, has been recognized as a holder of an Important Intangible Cultural Property (Living National Treasure) for his technique of "Yurikinsai."
Many people have heard of "Kutani ware". In fact, there are various techniques for this Kutani ware, and at "Kinzan Kiln", the technique of "kinsai" using gold leaf has been passed down for generations. Also, when it comes to Kutani ware, most of the pottery is made in bright colors, represented by the "Kutani Gosai" of "red, green, yellow, purple, and deep blue". However, Yoshida's works tend to have soft, subdued colors.


"Colored gold cup" diameter 6.2 x height 6.2 cm
A new style made possible thanks to the traditions of Kinzangama
"I grew up in the birthplace of Kutani ware, and from an early age I was close to the pottery made by my father and other generations of pottery, and saw a variety of overglaze wares. Influenced by this, I also like overglaze wares. Among the various overglaze ware techniques, the 'underglaze gold color' that my father used is an extremely difficult technique in which a pattern is painted with gold leaf or gold paint, then glaze is applied on top and the ware is fired.
While inheriting this technique from my father, I also repeatedly tried and tested to create my own unique colors. As a result, I arrived at a new method of expression that does not mix colors, but instead layers pale colors with Western paints to create a variety of colors, and adds the "Kinrande" technique of baking gold leaf on top. It can be said that this technique was only possible thanks to the traditions of "Kinzan Kiln."
The gold powder and gold leaf used are carefully selected
At Kinzangama, the kiln that produces Kinsai, they produce their own gold powder. They collect the remaining pieces of gold leaf that have been cut up and used, then knead them together to make gold powder. By producing it themselves, they can control the size of the powder, allowing for more delicate expressions.
The gold leaf itself is also custom-made to a thickness unique to Kinzangama. By being so particular about the gold, the key element of gold leaf design, it is possible to create a brilliant gold effect. "The recent rise in the price of gold is a bit of a headache, but..." Yoshida says with a wry smile.


"Colored gold cup" diameter 6.2 x height 6.2 cm
Teaming up with generative art research to explore new possibilities
To layer pale colors and create a variety of different tones, the piece must be fired in the kiln many times. In some cases, as many as seven or eight firings are required. While repeating these firings, the final product must be visualized in advance.
Previously, it would take a long time to hand-draw sketches of the finished product, but for the past three years, Yoshida has been working on a project to speed up the sketch creation process by teaming up with a technician in a certain field; that field is the study of generative art.
The computer presents the final image, but the creator is still the main actor
Developed in collaboration with Alexis Andre, a researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratories, the tool is an art production tool in which a computer that has learned Yoshida's style of work generates the painting for the vessel. With this tool, Yoshida himself manipulates various variables on the screen, and selects and adopts the ideas generated by the computer to complete the sketch.
The main actor is still the creator. Generative AI is not used. However, the power of computers has expanded the possibilities to obtain images that were previously unimaginable, and in a short time.


An image generated by the tool named "Tomonami" (left) and a work created by Yoshida based on that (right). (This work is not exhibited at the exhibition. The image is fromSony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc., Tokyo, Japan (Reprinted from
"Being involved in this development was a good opportunity to think anew about what traditional crafts are. It involves making sure to incorporate the techniques that have been passed down as your own, while at the same time not neglecting to look to the future and take on new challenges. I believe that this is the reason why traditional crafts have been able to continue to exist until now. What my father has been doing for many years, the new colors that I have created through trial and error and the complex expressions that these colors create, and creating final sketches using a computer - all of these are forms of traditional crafts that will be passed down to the next generation."
"Maki-e" and "Chinkin". The unique world created by these two techniques ──Lacquer artist Yasunori Sakamoto──
Chinkin and Maki-e are decorative techniques for lacquer. It takes a long time to master just one of these techniques, but lacquer artist Yasunori Sakamoto has mastered both and is able to use both in a single piece with mastery.
"I have been studying Chinkin since I was young. My wife was the daughter of a lacquer artist, so I learned the techniques from my father-in-law and was able to do lacquer work."
As Sakamoto casually mentions, there are not many makers in Wajima who can use both techniques with ease.
Chinkin is a technique in which a pattern is carved into the surface with a blade and gold leaf or powder is then sunk into it. Maki-e is a technique in which a pattern is drawn on the surface of lacquerware with lacquer and then gold powder is sprinkled on before the lacquerware dries. Although both are lacquerware decoration techniques, the two are completely different.
"The two techniques use the same gold, but the expressions and atmospheres are completely different. It is actually quite difficult to combine two decorations with different expressions and atmospheres in one piece. I think about it a lot from the very first stage, when I imagine the finished product and draw a rough sketch, deciding on Chinkin in this part and Maki-e in this part. The rough sketch has a big influence on the quality of the finished product."
The fleeting light emitted by fireflies. This fleeting glow is expressed through Chinkin.
The piece, titled "Night Play," depicts fireflies flying about on a summer night. The fleeting, sad light they emit is a collection of extremely tiny gold particles, which shine for a moment in the pitch black darkness. The almost fantastical sparkle is produced by the mind-bogglingly detailed work of drilling tiny holes into the surface of the lacquer and sinking the gold particles into them.


Makie lacquer box "Night Play" 27 x 13 x 12 cm
Fireflies fly around a riverside overgrown with ferns. The ferns, painted with graceful brushwork, softly reflect the light emitted by the fireflies. The subdued glow of the mother-of-pearl is perhaps the sparkle of the flowing river water. This dreamily beautiful scene is a unique world that could only be achieved by Sakamoto, who has mastered these two techniques.
A detailed jigsaw puzzle made from crushed eggshells
One of the techniques of maki-e is called "rankaku" (egg shell). It is a technique that literally uses egg shells. Quail or chicken egg shells are crushed into small pieces, pasted onto lacquer and then coated with a top coat, then polished with charcoal. The small pieces of egg shell that were pasted onto the lacquer emerge as beautiful patterns. This technique is said to have started in the Edo period, and "It'll be nice if it's sunny" depicts large white hydrangeas blooming in the rain.


Eggshell lacquer box "It'd be nice if it was sunny" 13.5 x 28 x 12 cm
If you look closely at each petal of a hydrangea, you will see that it is covered with small pieces of eggshell, so densely that the word "densely" is appropriate. It is like a jigsaw puzzle made of eggshells. There are so many pieces of eggshell that it is difficult to count how many pieces of eggshell are used in one petal.
The accumulation of petals becomes a large hydrangea, blooming generously. Rain falls on the flowers and leaves. The blue of the falling raindrops is painted with mother-of-pearl, and the hydrangea leaves are painted with chinkin. Like the light emitted by the fireflies, this work was completed after a mind-boggling amount of work, but perhaps the lines of the petals and raindrops give it a somewhat modern feel.
The song playing on the radio in the studio was the inspiration for the title of the piece
"Recently, I have been trying to incorporate the expression and movement of flowing water into my work. The rain depicted in mother-of-pearl is one such attempt. Lacquer work is mostly done in silence, steadily and painstakingly. Wajima is a place rich in nature, so I create patterns from scenery that I have been familiar with since childhood and that stick in my mind. The dragonfly design, for example, is based on a memory I saw as a child.
We have the radio on in the studio, so we naturally hear songs that young people listen to. For both "Yayuugi" and "Haretara Iine," the artist names and song titles of the songs we heard on the radio gave us hints for the names of the pieces.


Maki-e box "Wind Concerto" 13 x 21 x 12 cm
Mr. Sakamoto, who spoke in a halting voice, laughed at that moment, looking a little embarrassed.
"And actually, there's a mechanism like this."
Sakamoto-san removed the cover of "It'll be Nice If It's Sunny." Hidden on the side of the cover was a beautiful rainbow floating in the sky after the rain.
Although Sakamoto's home was damaged in last year's earthquake, his studio and tools were not significantly affected, and he was fortunate to be able to start making lacquer in the fall. Meanwhile, there are many craftsmen and artists in Wajima whose studios and even their homes were damaged, leaving them unable to continue making lacquer. Wishing from the bottom of his heart that these people will be able to return to their crafts as soon as possible, Sakamoto continues to silently face the lacquer in his studio today.
In addition to the two artists we spoke to, the following nine others are exhibiting in this exhibition:
[Ceramics] Kazukio Tabata, Yasokichi Tokuda, and Dr. Nakata
[Lacquerware] Yuji Osumi, Yasushi Shimizu, Yoshimitsu Tanaka, Shota Teranishi, Osamu Mizutani
Additionally, works by the following artists will be on display as special exhibits:
[Ceramics] Yoshida Yoshinori and Nakata Kazuo
[Lacquer art] Kunie Komori, Kazuo Yamagishi, Katsuhiro Nishi




◆Art exploration diary ~ Exhibition information
Ishikawa Crafts: Lacquer and Ceramics
Date: January 2025, 1 (Thursday) - January 16, 2025 (Sunday)
Time: 11:00 – 19:00 until 17:00 on the last day
- Location: Seiko House 6th floor Seiko House Hall


Masao Sakurai
He has been a member of the editorial department of Fujingaho, a long-established women's magazine founded in 38, for over 1905 years, and has researched and written manuscripts on a variety of Japanese culture, including traditional Japanese crafts such as pottery and lacquer art. Now, as a freelance editor, he is in charge of articles for Premium Japan about Ryuho Sasaoka, head of the Sasaoka school of the Miso-ryu school, and Kikunojo Onoue, the fourth head of the Onoue school and third generation head of the Onoue school. She has visited Kyoto many times over the years, but there are rumors that she knows more about izakaya than about Japanese culture.
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