Fumihiko Arakawa

Food Box with Colored Lacquer and Linear Design "Distance"

  • Lacquerware
  • Presented in 2005
  • Contact for Price

Category Lacquerware
Year Presented 2005
Exhibition The 52nd Japan Traditional Kōgei Exhibition
Awards MEXT Award

  • Lacquering

    Lacquering (kyūshitsu) is the art of applying lacquer to a substrate using spatulas or brushes. The technique includes a range of processes, from reinforcing the substrate with cloth to building up the foundation and applying the middle- and top-coats. The final coat can be left as is (nuritate), polished with charcoal to a high-gloss finish (roiro shiage), or given one of several hundred alternative (kawarinuri) finishes. Lacquer application is known for both its technical difficulty and richly expressive qualities.

Fumihiko Arakawa

photo Fumihiko Arakawa

I makes the best use of the lacquer’s natural luster, and finishes with nuritate (the practice of applying a finishing coat of lacquer and allowing it to harden without polishing). I then applies decoration using gold and silver wires.