JC18 SEKISAKA [ lacquerware ] × Sam Hecht and Kim Colin (Industrial Facility)

Echizen lacquerware, a tradition said to have started roughly 1,500 years ago in the Kawada district of Sabae city, a prefecture of Fukui, has since evolved continuously through advancements in material and technique, to reflect the changing times. Now, the durability of so-called ‘plastic lacquerware’ – formed plastic, coated in black and red chemical paints and that are now mass produced, has met the growing demands of the hospitality industry. Today, laquerware is divided into the categories of traditional ‘wooden lacquerware’, and ‘plastic lacquerware’ which is for commercial use. Almost 80% of the ‘plastic lacquerware’ in Japan is produced in Sabae. The SEKISAKA Company, primarily a producer of ‘plastic lacquerware’ for schools, airlines, and hospitals, has embarked on new product development program in cooperation with Industrial Facility in the London led by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin. Recognizing the transformation of Japan’s unique traditional craftsmanship through changing social demands and industrial advancements, and realizing that the handwork of the master craftsman is still intrinsically reflected in the mechanized production process for commercial lacquerware, Hecht and Colin proposed the creation of products that encourage freedom of application while acknowledging the potential of craftsmanship that allows for that freedom.