Light alive in lacquer
- Shinya takes charge of the entire creative process, from wood shaping to lacquering and decoration
- He discovers new forms through continuous hands-on exploration
- For him, natural lacquer embodies both beauty and functionality
Playing on lacquer’s binding properties, Shinya Yamamura combines various natural materials such as mother-of-pearl, abalone shell, eggshell, gold and silver in small-scale works. "Known for its durability, lacquer is a material that continues to evolve after completion and thus maintains a profound connection with time, which enhances its beauty," he explains. Shinya's pieces are veritable microcosms inviting contemplation of harmonies between figuration and abstraction. Currently president of the Kanazawa College of Art, he simultaneously pursues an artistic practice focused on the technique of mother-of-pearl inlay. While his aesthetic is rooted in the tradition of Japanese lacquer, Shinya's works are above all an invitation to question, beyond cultural boundaries, our vision of the world in a poetic dialogue with nature.
INTERVIEW
Kanazawa is a city where craft has been nurtured both as a part of daily life and a public aesthetic culture. From everyday tools to refined designs and contemporary art, the functional and the decorative naturally overlap. Kanazawa offers an inspiring environment that continually asks, 'How should craft be experienced and used?'
For me, craft is not about competing in form or technique but about questioning how we see the world. Eggshells and lacquers are not mere materials, they challenge our perception of light, colour and texture. My work aims not to provide answers, but to allow viewers to ask question.
Techniques are not ornamental, they are the roots that support a work. Avoid relying on effects and let the necessities of the process quietly shape the work. Leave space to evoke viewers’ memories and emotions. Expression is not asserting oneself, but discovering inevitability born at the intersection of technique and material.
Upon seeing one of my piece during a solo exhibition abroad, visitors unfamiliar with lacquer said, 'This light seems alive'. They were captivated by its texture and vitality, which sparked dialogue and even lead to museum acquisition. Craft, without words, connects people to materials and time, a conviction that continues to guide my work.
