As a maki-e artist in Yamanaka Japan, Mushū Yamazaki works from the starting point of an artisan. With a fluent command of traditional techniques, he stays true to his artistic philosophy to create what he truly wants to create.
His exquisite work and creativity have been highly evaluated outside of Japan. Through exhibitions in New York and collaboration with the independent watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin, Yamazaki dispatches the authentic beauty of Japan to the world.
Craftsmen from the past must have applied urushi and drawn maki-e paintings with such dark rooms in mind and sought its effect in dim lighting. It seems that their lavish use of gold was because they considered the way it looms out from the darkness and how it reflects the candlelight. The fine details of urushiware with gold maki-e aren’t meant to be seen at once under bright light. It is meant to be seen little by little, and part by part subtly glowing in the dark. It is made to evoke an indefinable longing by concealing most of its richly decorated motifs.
From In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki
私はもの作りの原点を考えて作品を作っていきたいと思っています。
多様な蒔絵の伝統技法をしっかりと踏まえ、時間も手間も惜しむことなく、創作の哲学を曲げることもなく、自分の作りたいもの、描きたいものだけを作り続けて行きたいと考えています。
古えの工藝家がそれらの器に漆を塗り、蒔絵を画く時は、必ずそう云う暗い部屋を頭に置き、乏しい光りの中における効果を狙ったのに違いなく、金色を贅沢に使ったりしたのも、それが闇に浮かび出る工合や、燈火を反射する加減を考慮したものと察せられる。つまり金蒔絵は明るい所で一度にぱっとその全体を見るものではなく、暗い所でいろいろの部分がときどき少しずつ底光りするのを見るように出来ているのであって、豪華絢爛な模様の大半を闇に隠してしまっているのが、云い知れぬ餘剰を催すのである。
『陰影礼賛』谷崎潤一郎