Questions and Answers Session

Audience 4 : Some remarks were about the consumption of Urushi ware. It has declined. I have been involved in sales of Urushi ware. I am afraid that ordinary consumers do not understand the basics of Urushi. For some consumers Uruhsi ware sounds to be expensive or difficult to handle.
I have sold various Urushi items including Mr. Mae’s works. As the matter of course, the price is important, but new uses and durability are also important for selling the items. Now the news has reported various problems of food safety. Urushi ware can be containers for food. I hope that we will have more opportunities to have the consumers understand the basics of Urushi ware.
Today we have the panelists from Germany and Korea. Urushi is sometimes called “japan”. I would like to know how Urushi ware has been admired in Europe, the United States and Asia.

Ohnishi : You have handled art works and craft works. I think it important for three positions to help with each other; those who make them, who sell them and who use them. We tend to deepen our opinions on Urushi art from the perspective of the producer, but I would like sales people to think of Urushi. When you are asked in Europe what Urushi is, you might not able to answer the question. If so, you have lost your identity as Dr.Kopplin has pointed out.
That is why such symposium and discussion must be held quite often. You must repeat your ideas and understanding of Urushi; What is excellent? Is beautiful item important? Is the power of the Urushi material beautiful? You cannot find out the beauty without activating your identity? We have many questions. But we cannot answer them immediately. Thank you for your stimulating proposal.
I have held my exhibition in Copenhagen for three months. The visitors are very much interested in Urushi. How the items are displayed is very important. If they are displayed only in good order, the visitors would look at them and just feel “Oh it is beautiful”. You should show them how Urushi ware is actually utilized in our everyday life in Japan. You need techniques and ideas. You must tell them the atmosphere. Then they can understand Urushi ware just as Dr.Kopplin has pointed out.

Audience 4 : As for the vermilion baby bathtub, I also wondered what it is made of. At the exhibition I usually admire the form and the color of Urushi and the next step I wonder whether or not it can be utilized. Even if a work is experimental, how to display the work is important because some visitors would like to use it. Then how to display an item and what comments on the item to go with are important. This jacket is under improvement, I hear. Yet, it should be displayed more elegantly.

Komatsu : One of the questions from the audience is about Urushi art in other countries. This international competition has invited a French Urushi artist as a member of the jury before. He belongs to the French Urushi Association which has more than 20 members. Some of the members applied for this competition.

Ekuan : At the Final Assessment I realized the different perspectives to Urushi between Japan and Europe. That is why we often say “What is Urushi in Japan?” In Europe Urushi has been used as the material for drawings and sculptures while it is used to make utensils in Japan.
The importance of the international competition is that we have considered Urushi in Germany, in France and in the United States. Urushi in each country is interpreted differently, which makes the world of Urushi very interesting.
When you would like to sell Urushi ware overseas, you should tell them why they are excellent. In general Japanese Urushi works are serene and powerful maybe because of numerous layers of coatings. Japanese traditional arts and crafts such as metal works, casting, Urushi coating, gold leaf application and many more have been considered to be the pursue of strict training.
Remember that Urushi in Japan and Urushi in Europe basically different. I hope you will learn more about the situation of Urushi art in Europe.
Therefore, holding such an international competition is meaningful because you are able to come across various items from different nations and regions.

Ohnishi : Not many Japanese people know what Urushi is. I am afraid that you are not ready to answer this question. Quite a few intellectual European people understand Urushi as well as its culture and history in the world including Dr. Kopplin. They know the history of Japan and Urushi; Sumurai heroes in the Momoyama period (the late 16th century) and what kind of Makie was developed at that time, Urushi ware in the Edo period (the 1600~1867), Negoro came from Buddhism and many more. Not many Japanese people know such things. You must study and learn more about your own history and Urushi.

Koppin : I would like to come back to the first question because you are facing difficulties. I understood your question. You are facing difficulties in selling Japanese lacquer in Japan. I think again I must come back to my previous statement. It is not a question of the price because you said the lacquer ware is quite expensive. No, Japanese young ladies spend thousands of dollars to buy any fashion or handbags and never mind the price. You have difficulty in keeping the image of Japanese lacquer ware. The Japanese lacquer maintains high image. You must persuade your own people to rediscover this wonderful quality. But I also would like to say that sometimes I really realize some difficulties in producing good taste things. Even in this competition I saw objects which had, I must say, bad taste. And they will never have successes in selling neither in Japan nor in Western countries. As for the Western countries, as a good example, in the museum we are selling in our shop Russian lacquer ware, Burmese lacquer ware and Japanese lacquer ware. The most expensive is Russian lacquer ware. So the best we sell is very simple Japanese lacquer ware which is appealing not because of the proper lacquer quality. Nobody knows the quality. When they learn about the quality, they will say “Oh, it is interesting” But they buy them because of their beauty. So you must produce things which are beautiful and which fit actual taste. Simple forms and elegant forms and beauty of lacquer surfaces. This is my experience and I want to encourage you.

Ohnishi : I am afraid that time is up although our discussion has become more and more interesting. I am sure you have grasped possibilities of Urushi ware toward the future. I hope this exhibition will help those who create Urushi ware, who love Urushi ware and who sell Urushi ware to deeply understand Urushi.
Handling Urushi is a lot of fun. It is not luxury of the feudal lords in the past. Dr. Kopplin stated the basic identity. We have lived in the climate of Asia. Urushi has rooted in our culture. You must rediscover this, otherwise you may not be encouraged. I hope that you will actively participate in this exhibition by focusing on this important point. Thank you very much.

Closing

Boda : Thank you for your invigorating opinions. The Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2009 will be held from January 21 through 26, 2009 at the Exhibition Hall on the 8th floor of Meitetsu M’za, where 82 works including prize winners will be exhibited. At the same time “The New Artists’ Corner” will be held introducing new products and new trends of items from 12 lacquer ware producing regions in Japan. As the visiting exhibition, this exhibition will be held at the Ishikawa Wajima Urushi Art Museum from February 26 through March 22, 2009. I hope that many of you will visit the exhibitions.
We would like to bring the special symposium for the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2009 to close. Please give all the panelists another round of applause. Thank you very much.