Panel Discussion

Silver Prize winners (two works)（1/2）

TAMAYA (MC)  ─────  Thank you. We would like to move to the two Silver Prize winners. First, “Blessed Rain” by Rei NOJO for the Art Category. Mr TANAKA will make some comments on the Silver Prize winner for the Art Category.

TANAKA  ─────  I’d like to explain NOJO’s “Blessed Rain.” This prize winner received almost all the jurors’ votes. At the Final Assessment venue there were a variety of works displayed, from ones that were more functional to ones that were more purely artistic. This work received a lot of votes from the jurors and, as a result, it was awarded the Silver Prize.

This year’s Grand Prize goes to a work based on a traditional craft style. A work like that hasn’t won the Grand Prize at the International Urushi Exhibition so far. However, in a way, that work harbors a contemporary sensitivity, which is highly valued beyond the category boundaries. It is a beautiful and very detailed piece of work. The two Gold Prize winners just mentioned also each contain new possibilities. One is created by an artist who was trained for a long time in Aomori Prefecture. The other is a small work that successfully combines glass and urushi.

The creator of this work, Ms Rei NOJO is a senior at Kanazawa College of Art. She created the prototype with clay and cast a plaster mold from it. She then applied kanshitsu (dry lacquer). The eyes are made of resin with raden (mother-of-pearl inlay) on the underside. As Professor OHNISHI mentioned, whether the object is a piece of tableware or an animal, no matter its shape, there is a commonality in the expression of the creators themselves – their thoughts, ideas, and spirituality. I think young people are more likely to express what they feel close to, such as these kinds of animals, but regardless, this work by Ms NOJO was captivating at first sight. Of course, age has nothing to do with it, the adorable animal simply attracted all the jurors, so I think that’s why this award was given.

It is difficult to sense the texture of the animal’s fur through the photos. Please come to the Exhibition and enjoy the delicate textures and lovable facial expression. Her way of treating the eyes is very skillful, creating a figurative expression. She utilized urushi to create a rust-colored undercoat for the skin. I think this work is truly excellent and all the jurors voted for it so I think they had a similar feeling.

As a final point, the jurors felt that the painted nose looked a little strange. I checked the coating of the lacquer inside and out. I think it is important to check the inside as well as the outside, however, I think this work is an excellent piece.