Ikeda Iwao: The Life of Bamboo The Spirit of Urushi
Past exhibitions exhibition
Overview
We are delighted to announce an exhibition of work by bamboo and lacquer artist Ikeda Iwao. The exhibition, Ikeda's first in the United States, will be shown jointly at Erik Thomsen Gallery and Koichi Yanagi Oriental Fine Arts.
Brought up in a basket-weaving family but also trained as a lacquerer, over the decades Ikeda has developed a unique and expressive combination of two of Japan's most revered natural materials. Marrying the strength and solidity of bamboo with the subdued luster of red, black, and gold urushi (lacquer), he makes pieces that both celebrate and challenge traditional Japanese ideas of artistic elegance.
The exhibition, which features 30 works by Ikeda, continues until June 29, Monday - Friday, 10 am - 6 pm.
The exhibition will also be open on Saturday, June 11, 11 am - 5 pm.
An illustrated catalogue, with an essay by Monika Bincsik of the Metropolitan Museum, accompanies the exhibition.