• Yoko has revived a forgotten lacquering technique called shippi
• She aims to reveal the hidden beauty of animal hide
• For her, the act of making is inseparable from the wholeness of life

Yoko Ichikawa first discovered urushi, Japanese lacquer, while studying at art school. Among materials such as wood, paper and clay, she chose animal hide as her canvas. “I was drawn to it because I could cut, sew and shape it with scissors, needle and thread, just as my skilled seamstress grandmother had taught me,” Yoko says. With these simple tools, she constructs her works in an organic, instinctive way using her own take on the ancient shippi technique that dates back to the 7th century. Traditionally, animal hide is stretched over a wooden mould to form the shape of a box as a reinforcement and foundation for lacquered objects. Yoko creates the box form herself by sewing the hide together with needle and thread. “I honour the material, by utilising it in its entirety and bringing forth its inherent beauty,” she explains. Examples of this craft can be found in the Shosoin Treasure House, home to master crafts from around the world at the time.