Ai Shikanji
Lacquerer
Toyama, Japan
The unbroken flow of lacquer
- Ai's signature technique combines thread with kanshitsu, maki-e and mother-of-pearl inlay
- She is a third-generation lacquerer in a historic craft town nestled in Toyama Prefecture
- Inspired by the organic rhythm of nature, her work honours the movement and flow of her materials
Born to a family of lacquer artists in Inami, a Japan Heritage site for woodworking, Ai Shikanji grew up deeply immersed in the lacquer arts. "Choosing a path in craft came naturally," she says. Ai's practice draws on a wide range of lacquer techniques, but she has developed a personal extension of the traditional dry lacquer method known as kanshitsu. Rather than applying lacquer onto cloth, she constructs the base with thread, creating a form where the finish is structurally inseparable from the fibre. Ai's latest series seeks to introduce movement and a sense of openness, inspired by natural forms and her materials themselves. Working experimentally with the luminous interplay of light and shadow inherent to maki-e and mother-of-pearl inlay, she aims to convey the expansive qualities of nature's growth, between the necessary and the unpredictable.
INTERVIEW
For generations, my family has run a lacquerware workshop in the Japanese Heritage site of Inami, a town recognised for its woodcarving culture. The craft involves applying lacquer to festival floats, ritual objects, lion dance masks and tengu masks. It felt natural for me to study lacquer formally at school and apprentice under maki-e masters. I found myself captivated by the depth of the craft.
It is the ability to create an object using personalised techniques grounded in tradition. Beyond originality, true artistry demands technical skill and years of rigorous training. Lacquer art is still not widely recognised. It is important to communicate its value and appeal to a broader audience. The deeper the understanding of lacquer art, the greater its cultural value will be.
I primarily work with gold and Mexican shells. Gold brings brilliance, richness and refinement to the work. Shells, on the other hand, evoke the passage of time, as if layers of history have accumulated within them. Their colours and reflections change depending on the environment, and no two are ever the same. This unique, living quality of the materials constantly inspires my practice.
I am inspired by the ability of the natural world to generate shapes that are impossible to predict. Trees, for instance, extend their branches in response to light, wind and the passage of time. Within such natural forms, necessity and hazard coexist in ways that no human hand could fully produce. This ambiguity brings new perspectives and ideas to my creative work.
Ai Shikanji
Lacquerer
Toyama, Japan
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Toyama, Japan
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
LANGUAGES
Japanese
Homo Faber Finds is a new service aiming to inspire admirers of craft to connect and collaborate with exceptional artisans.
We invite you to submit an enquiry here.
