Introduction

Written by
Nobuhiko Akiyoshi

For the next galerie a event, we will be hosting Daisuke Motoike for his solo exhibition, “primal memories”. Coating urushi onto leather. Shippi, a lacquerware technique that prospered in the Nara Period and was superceded by woodgrain with the coming of the Heian Period. This case, made by this technique known as shippi currently boasts the status of a national treasure. Daisuke Motoike takes the shippi technique and reconstructs it with his own interpretations and though process to present works that reverberate in present day. He coats seven to eight layers of urushi coloring onto the leather. Coating. Letting it naturally dry out over time. Shaving down the urushi coating. And then adding another layer of coating. The spectacle that is born from this process of repetition are products of views that Motoike recalled within himself, such as sunsets at Lake Shinji, where he was raised, or views that look like they were seen through negative film slides. A plethora of natural colors reminiscent of the depths of abstract emotions. This exhibition takes the monochromatic work that Motoike presented last year at his “Overlaid” exhibition one step further and plunges into the world of color. Shippi color shown through a signature bag that expresses Motoike’s craft. Two-dimensional drawings and collages. Jewelry from Mototike’s own brand, taupe D. Motoike. All of these works that give us a peak of the many facets of Motoike will be on display at this event.