Kohei Ukai

Lacquerer

©UKAI KOHEI

The subtle interaction between wood and lacquer

Kohei was a finalist of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2020
Through his sculptures he aims to communicate beyond words
In his works he emphasises the natural form of cut wood

Kohei Ukai is an artist born in 1993, who in just a few years has achieved some very important milestones. In 2020, he became a finalist for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize and in 2021 he opened his own studio in Kanazawa. After completing a master’s degree in fine art at the Kanazawa College of Art, Kohei had the chance to pursue his apprenticeship and was mentored by renowned craftsmen at the Kanazawa Utatsuyama traditional crafts studio. They helped shape his artistic path. Kohei’s sculptures are inspired by the natural shape that wood acquires when it is cut, and by the symbiotic relationship between lacquer and wood. He expresses this in an innovative way by combining parts of wood covered in lacquer, and parts that reveal the wood’s natural appearance in three-dimensional sculptures.

Interview

©UKAI KOHEI

©UKAI KOHEI

Why did you choose this craft?: I wanted to create objects for a living, and I chose the field of traditional crafts. Although I knew lacquer as a material, for me it was the most unfamiliar of the techniques used in traditional crafts, so I wanted to get to know it better. Moreover, the things I was best at were drawing and building objects, so I wanted to do a job that included both skills.
What was the first object you ever made?: I made it in my third year of university. In my first work, as in my present works, I used only wood and lacquer. I carved some decorative motifs in the wood, and subsequently covered it with multiple layers of lacquer creating a work in relief. The decorative motifs were all taken from nature – fish, birds, flowers – and I carved them on the sides of a rectangular piece of wood. I was pretty satisfied with the results, and I realised that this was the best way to express myself.
What do you love most about your profession?: I love that during the simple continuous process of applying lacquer and polishing, sometimes an unexpected shape appears. I feel a sense of humanity, and in the repetition of the gestures, I experience a feeling of going back and forth between consciousness and subconsciousness. I aim to create a unique style of expression that can inspire and impress people's hearts, and through this I can communicate with people, surpassing the limitations of words. This is what I love the most.
What was a memorable moment in your professional life?: When I became a finalist in the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize. It was a great chance to widen my exhibition activity, and as it was a world-renowned competition, I felt truly honoured. In fact, from then on I exhibited my works in various countries, such as Belgium and Switzerland. And thanks to that experience, people unconnected to the art world and people from the media became aware of my work.

Kohei Ukai is a rising star: he began his career in 2018