2015
Inner Side—Outer Side
Tanaka NobuyukiJapanese, born 1959
The complex lacquer techniques used by Tanaka Nobuyuki are firmly rooted in Japanese tradition, reaching back several millennia. Great skill and patience are required of artists who work with this substance, which is extracted from the sap of the lac tree. To name just a few of the challenges, the lacquer can bubble, form holes, appear uneven, or become cloudy.
Tanaka carves his forms from Styrofoam, covering them with layers of hemp soaked in wet lacquer. When the hemp dries the Styrofoam support is removed and additional layers of lacquer applied.
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