Celebrating the life of urushi trees
- Kenji harnesses the urushi tree from forest to artwork
- He unites urushi tapping and lacquering with woodworking in his practice
- His works express time, renewal and the cycle of nature
Kenji Honma creates sculptural lacquer works that begin with the life of the urushi tree. Born in Tokyo into a family of lacquer artists, he studied woodturning at the Ishikawa Prefecture Turning Technique Training Institute under Professor Tsuji Eiho, then trained under his father Yukio, his brother Shigetaka, and urushi tapper Sato Haruo. In 2020, Kenji founded Mokushitsu Rokukyo in Hitachi-Ōmiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, where he cultivates urushi trees, harvests their sap, and works the felled wood to make his creative pieces. Each object begins when he strikes the wood with a hatchet, revealing forms shaped by decades of wind and snow. His practice, rooted in respect for nature, embodies a full creative cycle, from nurturing the trees to applying harvested lacquer on the final layer.
Interview
- What defines your creative approach?
- I use three core skills: lacquer tapping, woodworking and lacquer application. By combining them, I create works that express the life and strength of the urushi tree. Each process reflects years of experience and deep connection to nature.
- How did your training shape your philosophy?
- Learning under my father and other masters taught me precision and respect for every step of the process. But I also value freedom, and the courage to break away from conventions when beauty demands it. Technique forms the base, yet creativity gives it breath.
- How do you choose the form of each piece?
- I never plan the shape in advance. Every time I strike the wood with my hatchet, a new expression appears. I respond intuitively, balancing my intention with the tree’s natural form.
- What message do you hope your work conveys?
- I hope people feel the quiet strength of time, the tree’s decades of growth, the patience of the craft. In a fast world, my work invites reflection on coexistence with nature and on the enduring beauty found in imperfection.
Kenji Honma is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2000
Where
Kenji Honma
