To the sea

Igawa Takeshi first became interested in woodworking when he was an undergraduate at the Kyoto City University of the Arts in 2003. By 2008 his interest in lacquer (urushi) had developed and he wrote his PhD dissertation about the complex use of lacquer coating. Igawa is inspired by the sky and sea, exploring how the mercurial qualities of these subjects can be expressed in lacquer. His works regularly resemble steel blades and he consciously uses light and shadow to create imposing formations.

At 1.7m long, this minimalist lacquer sculpture is among the artist’s most dramatic. In To the sea Igawa has created a form and reflective surface that produces shadows, giving the illusion of rolling waves. The traditional Japanese lacquer technique kanshitsu involves applying several coats of lacquer on multiple layers of hemp cloth over a wooden substrate. The historical approach is further developed by Igawa who instead uses polyurethane as the substrate, allowing him to create large contemporary sculptures.