Lights made with Japanese lacquer

Designer Yu Watanabe created a series of lights in tree-like shapes coated with Japanese lacquer called Urushi.

Urushi lacquer is a biobased lacquer, made of sap harvested from trees in small amounts. The sap is harvested by making nicks in the tree bark, smaller or larger depending on the season. Urushi lacquer is highly durable and reparable, but still biodegradable. While used extensively in Japan in the past, the material is being replaced by alternative materials in recent years.

Watanabe’s project aims to revitalise this traditional craft and “create a space that connects us with nature”. The designer used a type of Urushi called Isehaya. The sap of the tree looks like a creamy white when harvested, but turns into a transparent brown colour when processed.

The designer created an arrangement of vertical hanging lamps, which resemble trees, coated in a layer of Urushi. The project seeks to evoke a sense of being in a forest. In addition, it also encourages the viewer to look at the materials through the lens of their backgrounds, narratives and connections with nature.

Photos: Yu Watanabe