Lacquer (Urushi) is not a medium specialized for painting.

Its drying reaction is complex, influenced by temperature and humidity, making it challenging to work with, and it can cause skin irritation. 

Yet, as I repeatedly engage with this troublesome material, reading its expressions through each reaction, I have come to sense a kind of personality in lacquer—something that was once just a tool.

Handling lacquer has blurred the boundaries between human and non-human, life and matter. 

As a child, I loved pushing through thickets and walking through the forest. The plants, insects, damp soil, echoing sounds, the fear of animal tracks—countless presences intertwined. This sensation has never left me.

Just as droplets of water form out of nowhere, merge, and vanish again, the forest kept shifting all day long. 

With the help of this material, I want to contemplate that place once again.