Natural Mastery: Lacquer and Silver Works from Japan

About

Natural Mastery: Lacquer and Silver Works from Japan. In association with Ippodo Gallery (Tokyo and New York) the show will present the work of two contemporary artists, Jihei Murase and Shota Suzuki.

Jihei Murase’s aesthetic is deeply connected to the Way of Tea, of which he is a devoted practitioner. His stunning lacquerware pieces are both functional and elegant. Offering a unique range of exquisite shapes and beguiling colours his work pays homage to a century-old tradition while also speaking to the contemporary taste of the 21st century.

Alongside Jihei Murase, we will show for the first time Shota Suzuki’s delicate metal sculptures. These intricate works depict wildflowers, plants and leaves he finds around him. Capturing their likeness with striking precision, his compositions evoke the flow of time, their colouring a subtle indication of the season and of the plants’ lifecycle. A cherry flower in bloom, a dandelion whose seeds are blown away by the wind; his intricate creations reveal the infinite possibilities of hard metals meeting with the delicateness of flowers. It is the first time the work of these two artists, close friends of different generations, are shown together.