21st Century and Contemporary Lacquer

Decorative handcrafted vase with mother-of-pearl inlay.

Japanese Lacquer Rhino Sculpture by Someya Satoshi (1983-). A hand-molded lacquer sculpture that depicts a fantasy beast "Rhino". The artist uses century-old traditional techniques and symbols but with an innovative contemporary energy that borders mysticism, shamanism and surrealism. Found objects were equally treated as part of the meticulous designs as the elaborate Maki-e and shell inlays. According to the press of Honolulu Museum of Art: "Someya Satoshi has been described as “one of the most significant contemporary lacquer artists working in Japan today.” (Japan Times, 12 Dec. 2013) His work combines objects of daily use, such as bathing buckets, serving trays, and soup bowls, with a wide array of natural materials, including animal bones, horns and antlers, sand, stones, leaves and branches. In the process, he implements a range of traditional lacquer methods passed down from pre-modern eras, such as the kanshitsu or “dry lacquer” technique, the origins of which date to Japan’s Nara period (710–784). After creating his forms, he embellishes them with designs inspired by calligraphy, traditional Japanese textile patterns, and even contemporary manga or comic books. His work defies ordinary definitions of lacquer art and successfully challenges the perceived limits of this extremely difficult and, in some ways, most conservative of traditional Japanese art forms". His work was exhibited in US such as Honolulu Museum of Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Morikami Museum etc. For a complete resume of the artist, see the artist's page in Imura Art Gallery. Reference: For a very similar Bull Sculpture see Hard Bodies Contemporary Japanese Lacquer...

This Artware exclusive pairs Jean-Michel Basquiat's iconic Horn Players (1983) with a beautifully hand-crafted lacquered tray. Large enough for breakfast in-bed or a full round of co...

Persimmon Box Black Lacquer Hand Repousse Copper Base Limited Edition Lacquer is a laborious and time-consuming process. After it is tapped from the trees, lacquer needs to b...

Antique copper finish on copper band Hand repousse´ Black lacquer Contemporary Limited Edition Chinese lacquer is a highly regarded art form an...

Persimmon box Black lacquer Hand repousse Copper base Limited Edition Lacquer is a laborious and time-consuming process. After it is tapped from the trees, lacquer needs to b...

Scroll stand. Cream lacquer. Hand-carved. Wood-base. Limited edition decorative object. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circ...

Unusual lacquer vase depicting wrestlers in different poses and a drummer. The figures and banderoles are painted with gold, silver and black color onto the brown/red lacquer. The va...

The All Aid Wellness Cabinet from SoShiro’s Ainu collection, a collaboration between award-winning artist Toru Kaizawa and Shiro Muchiri, was initially imagined as a large-scale medi...