Into the Incandescent : Artworks of traditional and innovative Japanese maki-e lacquer design

Maki-e Japanese Lacquer Exhibition in London
With a series of maki-e workshops in London and Oxford

Into the Incandescent

 

A Unique Opportunity to Make Traditional Japanese Lacquer Art with Artisans
An exhibition of artworks created using traditional and innovative Japanese maki-e techniques. Shokan Matsuda is a Japanese maki-e lacquer artisan, a descendant of traditional maki-e craftsmen in Fukui, famous for Japanese traditional crafts. He founded Maki-e Studio SHOKAN in 2005, in Aoyama, central Tokyo. Its purpose is to convey the beauty of maki-e to the world and to pass down the traditional techniques of decorating wooden objects in this way.

The artworks of Shokan Matsuda and his followers result from their experimental approach to new maki-e techniques, such as applying maki-e to non-traditional surfaces including metal and glass and expanding the application of maki-e to include everyday objects.

 

During the exhibition period, a series of workshops will be hosted by award-winning Shokan Matsuda and eight of his apprentices, artisans of Maki-e Studio SHOKAN. The purpose of the exhibition and related workshops is to promote awareness of maki-e in the UK. Up to 15 participants in each workshop will create their own lacquer art, which they can take home. A one-off workshop held in London in September 2012 proved so popular that it was decided to hold more workshops this year with capacity for many more participants.

 

Exhibition opening times:
Weekdays 10am-7pm, Fridays 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-3.30pm,
Closed on Sundays

 

Workshop schedule:(Please note that workshops last for approximately 2- 3 hours)

 

Victoria and Albert Museum,Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL:
 6th July, 11am-4pm

 

free workshop (booking is essential)
http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/2604/contemporary-japanese-lacquer-the-workshop-3933/

 free drop-in demonstration
http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/w/workshop-event-programmes/

 

Swedenborg House, 20-21 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2TH:
 8th July, 1-5pm & 18th July 10am-5pm

 

Oxford Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2PH:
12th July 11am-3pm

 

Daiwa Foundation Japan House,
13-14 Cornwall Terrace (Outer Circle) London NW1 4QP:
16th & 19th July 10am-4pm
(for participants with prior experience)

 

Booking for the workshops is essential and there is a fee to cover material costs.*
Please book through our webpage at: http://shokan2013.exblog.jp

 

*Costs vary depending on materials chosen and objects used.

 

Exhibition Admission Free