The Story of Lacquer and Washi
OTAFUKU kanshitsu dish with washi finish, shell inlay with gold maki-e
The Story of Washi
Traditionally very fine handmade washi from Nara is used in urushi for straining urushi for the final coat or is applied to stop the weave of the linen showing through in kanshitsu. There is also a tradition of applying washi over bamboo and wood to get a subtle, soft, matt finish which is highly favoured in the world of Japanese tea ceremony. There is also a traditional technique of creating an entire body out of washi very similar to the Western papier-mache. I have used washi in all these ways but started to experiment with different kinds of washi depending on where I travelled and discovered that I liked to build up designs by cutting out pieces of washi like collage. By using silver and gold maki-e or by using tame-nuri I could accentuate the textures of washi and a new world opened up to me. Most of these pieces were done on top of a Wajima-nuri body as a final decoration but like lace, making a body entirely of washi was appealing because of its lightness and ability to travel abroad without warping.
Later, working with Fukui Prefectural University to help preserve traditional crafts, I was introduced to Echizen-washi. From then on washialso became something to apply urushi to rather than just incorporated into a piece of work.
ON THE WINGS OF AN ANGEL Buddhist memorial tablet, carved in wood with washi finish and gold maki-e
SWEET RAIN Incense container. Wajima-nuri with washi finish, shell inlay with silver maki-e
EVERY CLOUD Trinket box. Hari-nuki with gold maki-e and silver lining on the inside
UNTITLED My first painting on Echizen washi
Applying the washi flowers to OTAFUKU (detail)