Shinya YAMAMURA
Shinya YAMAMURA (Japan)
Urushi Artist,
President at Kanazawa College of Art
For the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2026, we received a diverse range of works that honor the traditions of Urushi while forging meaningful connections with contemporary sensibilities and daily life. The spectrum of expression was remarkably broad—encompassing vessels, decorative techniques, three-dimensional sculpture, and design—with each piece serving as a testament to the profound depth and expansive possibilities of Urushi as a medium.
During the Final Assessment, we looked beyond mere technical mastery and refinement. We placed great importance on how each creator engaged with the material, the thoughts underpinning their work, and the specific expression they sought to bring forth. While the inheritance of traditional techniques is vital, mere repetition is insufficient; we must also ask what significance Urushi holds within the context of modern society and our lives today.
Urushi is a temperamental medium, dictated by temperature and humidity and requiring a significant investment of time before completion. It is, by modern standards, a difficult material to handle. Yet, within this very lack of convenience lies the authenticity of creation—of confronting nature and working with both hand and mind. In this year’s submissions, the time the artists spent in dialogue with the material through repeated trial and error is palpably etched into the forms, colors, and textures.
In an era of rapid advancement in AI and digital technology, the physical experience of standing before a work—absorbing its scale, weight, and surface texture with one’s own body—becomes increasingly precious. The depth born from the intersection of natural materials and human touch, and the shifting expressions revealed by light and perspective, are qualities that can only truly be perceived through a direct encounter with the object itself.
It is my sincere hope that this exhibition will continue to serve as a forum for contemplating the present and future of Urushi through these diverse encounters, passing its allure and potential to the world and to the generations to come.