Revival / Creation of Wajima-nuri Urushi lacquerware 

〜The Challenge of Wajima Kirimoto～

受け継がれた技術と、長い時間をかけて落ち着かせた良質な木の材料を用いて、漆器木地製作やさまざまな木地加工、家具や木工製品の創作を行う「輪島キリモト」による、漆器の数々を紹介します。

江戸時代から能登・輪島の地で、木と漆の仕事に携わってきた桐本家。分業制が確立している輪島ではめずらしく、デザイン、企画、木地から漆塗り、販売まで自社工房で手掛けていることでも知られています。7代目の桐本泰一氏は大学でプロダクトを学んだことを生かし、木と漆が今の暮らしに溶け込むようなものづくりに挑戦しています。

本フェアでは、輪島キリモトの職人により生み出された輪島塗の漆器のうち、日常使いの器のほか、さまざまな技術の粋が結集した鑑賞向きのものまで幅広く展示、販売します。本物の漆を使って作られた漆器は傷がついても塗り直して再生できるという良さをいかし、能登の震災で処分の危機にさらされた漆器に新たな生命を吹き込んだ「Reborn」シリーズも展開します。

This exhibition introduces a variety of Urushi lacquerware by “Wajima Kirimoto,” a Urushi lacquerware woodworking company that uses inherited techniques and high-quality wood materials that have been settled over a long period of time to create a wide range of woodworking, furniture, and woodcraft products.

The Kirimoto family has been involved in wood and Urushi lacquer work in Wajima (Noto peninsula in the northern part of Ishikawa prefecture)  since the Edo period. The seventh generation of the Kirimoto family, Taiichi Kirimoto, has studied product design at university, and is now taking on the challenge of creating products that integrate wood and Urushi lacquer into today's lifestyle.

At this fair, a wide range of Wajima-nuri Urushi lacquerware produced by Wajima Kirimoto's craftsmen will be exhibited and sold, from daily-use vessels to work of art, which are the culmination of a variety of techniques. The “Reborn” series, which breathes new life into Urushi lacquerware that was in danger of being disposed of after the Noto earthquake of January 1, 2024, will also be on display, taking advantage of the fact that Urushi lacquerware made with real Urushi lacquer can be repainted and regenerated even if damaged.