Panel Discussion

2 Honorable Mention award-winning works(1/2)

NATSUME(MC) ───── We will now move to the Honorable Mentions. First, the Art category:Wear-mimosa- by Iori ODA. Professor TANAKA, could you please share your comments regarding this work?

 

 

TANAKA ───── The meaning and values of craft and the purpose of making things change with the times, and currently, they are shifting rapidly in response to the state of society. As a fellow lacquer artist, I know that Shitsu-gei (lacquer art) involves numerous steps, requires a great deal of time, and demands high technical skill. While inheriting traditional techniques is vital, at a time when digital manufacturing and AI are rapidly transforming society, it has become even more important to once again ask oneself the meaning of making things.

Furthermore, this exhibition is currently the only one in Japan that invites lacquer works from all over the world on such an international scale, which makes it extremely precious. Amidst various exhibitions, I wish first to express my respect, in a somewhat formal manner, as a fellow creator to all of you who took up the challenge.

Now, regarding the screening. While “assessing” can sound like a top-down process, that is not the case at all. Regardless of age or career, it is about the impression the work makes in the evaluation room. Each juror casts an equal vote, and this result is the outcome. Being involved in the lacquer community, I know many of the applicants, which made assessing difficult at times, but my overall impression was that the level has risen significantly, both technically and expressively. I felt that everyone was constantly striving for improvement.

Among the top-tier works, many in both the Design and Art categories tended towards a simple direction that utilized the texture of the lacquer and materials. While my own work focuses on the sculptural aspects of coating, I do not only favor that direction; objectively, I believe that decorative techniques and other approaches are equally important as expressions of lacquer.

Regarding Iori ODA’s work, for which I am providing comments, I have known of Mr ODA’s work for some time. However, I had never held a piece or seen one up close. Having seen it in detail now, I have discovered its allure.

Generally, lacquer craftsmanship starts with the form of a vessel and aims for technical perfection and beauty within that framework. On the other hand, what the creator is personally feeling, what viewpoint they are interested in as they live today and how they express that through lacquer, is vital when considering future lacquer expression. This work uses familiar, everyday objects as a motif. The artist wrote in his creative intent: “Shoes are a familiar item that connects me to the outside world. Using shoes as a motif, I create works themed on the plants I encounter in that outside world. For this piece, the theme is Mimosa.” It is very simple; without social messages or complex rhetoric, he expresses something he feels close to him. The shoes are ordinary sneakers. Lacquer involves so much time and effort, and the material is natural, so it often ends up being about ‘making treasures,’ but he chooses a familiar motif. I hope he will continue to broaden his scope.

In this work, one tends to look only at the surface, but the underside is also very intricate, with sneaker tread marks skillfully expressed in the black. I think the display method could be improved, not by using a mirror to show the bottom, but perhaps by showing the shoes upturned in a natural way, as if they had just been taken off. Such a presentation that evokes a scene is also important. The work is made in kanshitsu (dry lacquer), with attention paid to every corner, and both the coating and decoration are meticulous. I understand some digital elements were used, though I have not asked the artist for details. The sense that every task was performed with care is what led to this award. I have provided this critique as a gesture of support for a work that suggests the future possibilities of lacquer expression.

NATSUME(MC) ───── Thank you, Professor TANAKA.