Yuto Kiyota Shiki Craft Works
Can you introduce yourself and tell us what led you to found Shiki Craft Works?
Before starting this job, I grew up in Tokyo and worked as an office worker in Tokyo. I entered XNUMX years ago a woodworking school in Nagano Prefecture because I wanted to work in my own time. After studying furniture making for a year, I began to make works using small wood products and lacquer.
You use different techniques for urushi lacquer. Could you explain which one you prefer and how it influences the final appearance of your pieces?
My favorite technique is a type of lacquered texture, like the one in the photo I shared. This technique is also used on plates.The process involves partially dissolving and polishing layers of lacquer to bring out distinctive patterns using various tools. Tin powder is first applied as a base, and then layers of lacquer are repeatedly painted and polished. Each time, I change the concentration of the lacquer and the drying speed. This variation affects the color depth and the surface texture, giving each piece a unique and expressive appearance.
Are there specific criteria that guide your choices?
When it comes to wood, I enjoy observing its grain and hidden structure, which is revealed when exposed to heat or fire. My criteria are relatively simple: is it difficult? Is it interesting? The rest depends on what resonates with my feelings at the time.
How do you approach the balance between tradition and innovation in your work?
Lacquer has a lot of traditional techniques, and what is gained from it is very large. There are rules that are better to follow in the knowledge and techniques established by our ancestors. Protecting it will also lead to customer satisfaction. However, I’m sure there are many things I’ve never tried. I think that’s what’s interesting.
What are your main sources of inspiration?
My source of inspiration is often nature. Natural rust on stones, plants, copper plates, dirty exterior walls of houses, etc. The patterns created by time feel beautiful.
For our Urushi Lacquer Selection, you are presenting three oval trays in bluish tones. Can you tell us more about these creations?
The oval trays are made from a tree called Isu no ki, which is mainly used for carving and sculpture in Japan. It’s a material with limited production, which makes it quite special. The technique begins by applying heat to the processed wood and removing the burnt surface, leaving only the harder part of the grain. This process is called Uzukuri, a traditional method passed down in Japan. On this textured surface, I first apply black lacquer, then layer blue lacquer over it. The colored lacquer I use is a type of wiped lacquer - fuki-urushi - obtained by mixing a small amount of highly transparent lacquer with blue, white, and green pigments, as well as natural mineral pigments called rock paint. The shades of blue and black interact with the natural grain of the wood, creating unique patterns that can never be replicated, so each piece is truly one of a kind.
- Location: Japan
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