Comments on the Special Prizes<

Yamamura : The winner of the Yamamura Prize is a work titled, WING OF FOLIAGE #10-09 by Shingo Muramoto.
Like a spider web finely spun between two bamboo branches, this work creates a three dimensional form with Urushi. It is very simple in composition, but its beauty is created from using the bending technique. The bending technique has been used in a variety of vessels, stone walls of castles, and temple roofs. This work is extraordinary. It is light but also has a powerful three-dimensional form.

Song-Oh : For the Song- Oh Prize, I selected the work titled, A RECEPTACLE 2011 by Yoo Juen Yang. This is a bowl and tray set. It looks as if the Rantai technique was applied but the material is actually dried Urushi. The center of the dried lacquer material is about 1.5 centimeters thick. The patterns depicted resemble the texture of bamboo. In the center one can see a turtle swimming in the pattern. The tray measures 40 centimeters in diameter and the bowl measures 30 centimeters. The bottom of the tray has the same precise pattern as the bowl. I hope everyone in the audience will take the time to notice the detail of the bottom of the tray.

Ohnishi : The winner of the Ohnishi Prize is the work titled, STAR PATTERN VASE by Else Marie Storgaard Fog.
Here, the artist does not use real Urushi. The technique used here is from the Kashmir District of India. In this particular part of India, there is an old tradition where they remove resin from an insect called, Cochneal. The resin is mixed with pigment to extract a color. The body is made of paper which is dissolved into a pulp-like substance. The paper is put onto a mold creating the body and then the color is coated. Ms. Storgaard Fog has submitted a work into this exhibition each time. Her distinct use of bright colors makes the viewer feel restored. The pattern she uses is simple yet one can see she has added her own unique aesthetic. The alternating rhythm of each section is a tribute to her sensitive taste and unique charm.
Due to recent conflict in the Kashmir district, it has been difficult for tourists to visit this area, but someday, I wish to go visit. The artist is well-known in her native Denmark and makes a variety of works, holding solo exhibitions. At a glance, this work looks simple but if one looks closer, it is quite modern and sensitive. I hope she will continue to broaden the variety of her products.