Urushi Projects
Table of Contents
Urushi is a lacquer extracted from the urushi tree. It is traditionally used in the region of Japan, China and Korea to protect and conserve wooden utensils.
Over time it developed into decorative art.
Urushi can be applied in different ways and often consists of 15 layers or more. The final result depends on the way in which the urushi is applied, this can be by rubbing in, fine brushed layer, thick brushed layer…. and the kind of urushi-refinement used. Also the use of additional components is possible like colouring pigments, metal powders, clay powder, fabric, vegetable oil…
A box for a friend
A recycled wooden box finished in red urushi, finished off with the logo made of alternative
gold powder on a black urushi background.
The pen rests
A series of pen rests made for the Antwerp Pelikan Hub in 2019. The base of these rests is a surplus of cedar wood, that was cut and sanded in this shape. Every rest has its own finish. They all have different colour combinations and/or additional material like gold powder or broken mother of pearl are used.
The egg pens
Two ebonite pens from Wet&Wise that got an urushi treatment combined with egg. On one the egg white is used to thicken the red urushi layer creating a pattern that reappeared during final sanding (inspired on Tsugaro-nuri Kara-Nuri). For the other one a pattern was created with broken egg shell (Rankaku urushi).
Other pens
Some other examples of my urushi creations:
- Seirei-nuri on an ebonite Osprey Milano
- Hakame-nuri on a Genesis Asphalt (3D printed resin)
- Negoro-nuri on an ebonite pen by Ruth Bolton
- Ishime inspired urushi & sand on an ebonite pen by Artisan Classic, ebonite