Kazuo Yamagishi

• Designation
  Living National Treasure (Important Intangible Cultural Property for Chinkin)
• Category
  Lacquerware
• Techniques
  Chinkin, Mother-of-pearl inlay (Raden)
• Born
  1954 -
• Based in
  Ishikawa
• Membership
  Full member, Japan Kogei Association
  Director of the Japan Kogei Association, Deputy Managing Director of the Lacquerware Department
  Honorary Advisor Director of the Ishikawa Prefectural Art and Culture Association
  Curator of the Wajima Lacquerware Museum
  Chief Instructor at the Ishikawa Prefectural Wajima Lacquerware Technical Training Center
  Councilor of the Wajima Museum of Urushi Art
  Director of Association for the Preservation of Important Intangible Cultural Property "Wajima Lacquerware" Techniques
  Part-time Instructor at Kanazawa College of Art

About the Artist

Expanding the Charm of Lacquerware with Sophisticated Chinkin (Gold Inlay) Techniques

Kazuo Yamagishi works at his studio in Wajima, an area famous for production of lacquerware. He was designated as Living National Treasure for his "Chinkin" techniques, which is inlaying gold powder into the grooves carved on the lacquered surface. The delicate and thin patterns that are barely visible, and the effective lines are all carved by hand. His excellent techniques and artistic expressions are highly evaluated, and in 2005, he received the Praemium Imperiale Award at the Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition where the top level artists in Japan gather. He also made a sacred treasure for the Shikinen Sengu (construction of a new shrine) at Ise Jingu. His artwork, using natural motifs of Wajima and created with rich sensibility, charms people of all generations.

Biography

• 1954
  Born in Wajima, Ishikawa
• 1973
  Studies under Bunjiro Fukumitsu
• 1976
  Selected for the first time for the 23rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1993
  Produced sacred treasure for Ise Jingu's Shikinen Sengu (constructing a new divine place every 20 years)
• 2005
  Evaluator at the Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition (3 times from this time onward)
• 2012
  Received the Medal with Purple Ribbon
  Primary judge at the Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition (also in 2017)
  Produced sacred treasure for Ise Jingu's Shikinen Sengu
• 2014
  Submitted to the "From Crafts to KOGEI" Exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
  Submitted to Mokichi Okada Award Exhibition held at MOA Museum of Art
• 2017
  Produced the sacred pillar for the Sanshu-den (assembly hall) of Yokohama Iseyama Kotai Jingu
• 2018
  Submitted to the 35th Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Anniversary Exhibition "URUSHI Tradition and Innovation"
  Designated as Holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property for gold-inlaid lacquerware
• 2019
  Dedicated tray with design in chinkoku and inlay "Distant" to Jingu Art Museum
• 2020
  Produced monument "For a Short While" for the Kanazawa Port Cruise Terminal

Awards

• 1987
  Japan Kogei Association Award, Ishikawa Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1988
  Asahi Shimbun Award, Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, Artwork added to KIBUN Collection
• 1989
  Japan Kōgei Association Award, Ishikawa Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1991
  Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award, Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, Artwork added to KIBUN Collection
• 1996
  Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education Award, Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 1999
  Japan Kōgei Association Award, 16th Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2003
  Japan Kōgei Association Award, 20th Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2005
  Prince Takamatsu Memorial Award, 52nd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, Artwork added to the collection of Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art
• 2008
  25th Anniversary Award, 25th Lacquerware Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2010
  Asahi Shimbun Award, 57th Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, Artwork added to the collection of Wajima Museum of Urushi Art
• 2014
  NHK Kanazawa Broadcast Station Manager Award, 55th Ishikawa Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
• 2016
  NHK Chairman's Award, 63rd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition, Artwork added to the collection of The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
• 2018
  Hokkoku Cultural Award

Public Collections

• National Crafts Museum
• Jingu Art Museum
• Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art
• Ishikawa Nanao Art Museum
• Wajima Museum of Urushi Art
• Kanazawa Port Cruise Terminal
• Yokohama Iseyama Kotai Jingu
• University of Toyama
• KIBUN Collection