The concept of this project is to prepare a generated object as a body for URUSHI(Japanese lacquer) works by using digital solutions, being based on the sense of nature and fluency in order to broaden the common mindset of URUSHI process.

URUSHI lacquer is a natural material (resin) that hardens by chemical reaction with moisture. As well as it reinforces surfaces, traditionally solid or hollow forms can be created by using hemp fibre and powdered mud. But the problem is that it takes so many steps to complete the shape, therefore it would be difficult to change its shape even if you wanted to change your mind in the middle of the process. That means a very precise plan of works should be fixed, and followed to complete it before get started and once you've got bored with the shape, you have to give it up despite of being in the middle of the process.

While using particular materials and facilities, an "unpredictable" elements are generally seen in various kind of craft techniques and process as the incidents being caused by the material and other circumstances such as limited capability of facilities. While this "unpredictable" elements must make contemporary craft intrigue, in comparison to other craft-material, the traditional process of forming of URUSHI works with using hemp fibre tends to lack this "unpredictable" elements, however, it is still difficult to make the color vivid as you wish in the end result. In this respect, this lack of "unpredictable" elements seems to make the shape of URUSHI works less intrigue than it could or should be more. In other words, every elements are under your control and all you have to do has been already fixed from the beginning to the end BEFORE you start your works. It's by no means a creative works but merely an operation, at least as for me.

Nature consists of numerous organic curves and figures. First, extracting some impressive curves out of a picture of nature(1) and then importing them into the CG software(2). Some three-dimensional software can connect curves, which are placed in distance each other, to generate a "virtual" surface as fluent as possible the software can(3). Then you could get a "real" piece of surface by using Rapid-Prototyping system without using your hands(4). After you prepare and place these curves properly on the software, you couldn't exactly expect what shape you would get due to limited capability of the software. However you may know much about how the software works, there are still complicated process in the computer which delivers "unpredictable" elements. You could try and try to do unlimited times like as a potter is facing potter's wheel until you've got a shape which attract you good enough to continue the works, however, sometime it may come as very plane shape and another time come as very complicated one.

The main theme of my project is to merge the digital solutions as a tool of the contemporary craft with the process of making shapes of the body of URUSHI works in order not only to make the surface more intrigue and attractive for me but to get new realm of the representation of URUSHI-art. 　　　　　　　(see also this page)