by IGAWA Takeshi (b.1980)
Heisei period, 2015
Dry lacquer, kanshitsu
123.0 x 25.0 x 7.5 cm.
Signed. Signed and sealed tomobako
The roiro technique of applying repeated thin coatings of black lacquer, and polishing each with increasingly fine compounds to achieve a brilliant, glowing, perfect finish, is one of the extraordinary achievements of Japanese lacquer. When applied to sculptural form as seen in the work of Igawa Takeshi, the resultant mirror-finish creates an infinite range of reflections that draws the viewer into the endless space between light and shadow.
Igawa is one of a small group of young lacquer artists taking this most traditional technique into contemporary cutting-edge work. The challenge arises not just from the rigorous demands of technique, but from an absence of international artistic dialogue since, unlike ceramic or metalworking mediums, there has never been a Western equivalent to lacquer. To create the pure, fluid, organic forms, he uses the ancient kanshitsu technique, where the core of the work is formed of lacquer-soaked cloth laid over a mould. Known as the dry-lacquer technique, it was first imported from China to Japan in the 7th century and used mainly to form the base of Buddhist sculptures – a hollow, lightweight construction method over which the finishing coats could be applied. Igawa has updated both the method and the materials, as can be best seen in a youtube video devoted to his work - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgfl_2ltoRw
This work comes from his Line and Surface series. Working exclusively with Japanese lacquer, each piece has been fashioned with many layers of lacquer-soaked hemp cloth. All surface imperfections are then removed using a mixture of lacquer, sawdust, powdered clay stone and other materials. It expresses the auspicious tension of an archer’s bow, thought to drive off demonic spirits.
Igawa Takeshi is a prize-winning graduate, of the Kyoto City University of the Arts, from where he also gained a PhD in 2008. He is presently an associate professor at Saga University in Kyushu. His award winning work has been widely exhibited throughout Japan, and is held in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA).