The New Expanse of Lacquer

Established in 1989 as an open-call international exhibition of Urushi ware (lacquer ware), the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition will mark its fourteenth event in 2026. At each past event, the exhibition drew many excellent works from various countries and areas around the world. It has built a high reputation as a world showcase of contemporary Urushi arts and crafts.

The home of the exhibition, Ishikawa prefecture, is renowned as the “kingdom of traditional crafts” in Japan. For Urushi ware, in particular, Ishikawa has three of Japan’s major Urushi ware production areas: Wajima, Yamanaka, and Kanazawa. The tradition of Urushi ware has been matured in the living culture of the local people.

In such an environment, this exhibition has continued with the aim of revitalizing the Urushi-related industries, encouraging international exchanges through Urushi, and helping people rediscover the value of Urushi, a material that is friendly to both humans and the environment, as well as the exceptional craftsmanship of Urushi ware.

This year’s event also prays for the swift recovery of the Wajima-nuri region, still affected by the significant damage caused by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and the subsequent heavy rain disaster.

As always, we expect many applications from Japan and abroad. Ranging from daily utensils that embody a new lifestyle to artistic expressions that bring new sensory experiences, we seek to discover diverse proposals for exploring the possibilities of Urushi.

News

　August 12, 2025　The application acceptance has begun.

Contact

Secretariat Office of the Executive Committee
　The Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition
　c/o Design Center Ishikawa
　2-20 Kuratsuki, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8203 JAPAN
　FAX：+81-76-267-5242
　E-mail：info@design-ishikawa.jp
　URL：https://design-ishikawa.jp/

The details of the previous exhibition can be found at:
https://ishikawa-urushi.jp/2023/en/