Stones

拙考
stillmind

人工と自然のあわい

The creation of stones is as ancient as the stars.

Their history is vast and tranquil.

A century of human life is too short to count its years.

It surpasses all human affairs.

It is a realm of transcendence, beyond joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure.

There, emotions rest.

We are captivated by stones because of this profound depth.

Within them lies the hidden wisdom of nature.

Yanagi Sōetsu

Akito Akagi (lacquer artist)

Since childhood, I've had a passion for antiques, collecting various items I could found. As I grew older, I started buying more, but I still gather what I find. Among my purchases are ancient pottery and lacquerware from the medieval to early modern periods. What I often pick up are round stones washed up on the beach. These stones seem to have retained their shape for much longer than the time allotted to me.

I craft vessels, but they are artificial objects designed for human use and functionality. I search for beautiful lines and shapes in these man-made objects. At the same time, I yearn for the pure, unblemished forms of nature, the beauty that comes without any human intention. It's a contradiction, yet I strive to get closer to it. However, as long as humans are the creators, we cannot escape the fact that they are artificial.

That's why from time to time, I play with things away from their intended use. Sometimes I interact with the stones I find on the beach.

In the beginning, I tried carving wood to mimic the natural shapes of stones. But they always turned out awkward. Then, I thought of a method to replicate the exact shape of the stones. This ancient technique is called "脱乾漆(dehydrating lacquer)." The process begins by wrapping the stone in plastic wrap and covering it with layers of hemp cloth soaked in lacquer and glue. Once these layers harden, you cut through the thickest part, separate the halves, and remove the stone, leaving the plastic wrap intact. The stone comes out pristine, ready to be returned to the sea. You then rejoin the halves with lacquer and add more layers of cloth.

The result is a hollow but perfect replica of the stone's shape, which I called "空石" or "Empty Stone."

After about 20 years of playing with these, I found myself wanting to add a human touch to them. Looking at relics from the Jomon period, you can see they exerted great effort to drill holes into stones, a testament to human persistence. I believe the point where nature and human craftsmanship intersect is where the sacredness of vessels originates, much like humans imagined and created gods. This led to the creation of "風石," or "Wind Stone."

Conversely, when I wondered if I could extract a vessel from a natural stone, I came up with the idea of placing a stone within another stone. This bizarre concept, where two stones coexist in one space, is impossible by natural law but inspired by nature's overlapping forms. This led to "温石," or "Warm Stone."

In this continuous exploration of the boundary between nature and artifice, new shapes constantly emerge.

Akito Akagi (lacquer artist)　

Born in Okayama Prefecture in 1962. After graduating from the Philosophy Department of Chuo University, he worked as an editor before moving to Wajima in 1988. He trained under the guidance of Okamoto Susumu, a foundation artisan of Wajima lacquerware, and became independent in 1994. Since then, Akagi san has been creating utensils in Wajima and holding solo exhibitions in various locations.

His published works include "Beautiful Things," "Beautiful Matters," "21st Century Folk Crafts," and co-authored works such as "Lacquerware for Everyday Use" etc.