U-EN ART｜LACQUER WARE

Brand

Crafts as a tool for making connections

U-EN ART

• 2020
• LACQUERWARE
• Miyuki Tokumoto

History

Leveraging our strengths gained from wood and metal processing

U-en ART is a brand located in Muko City, Kyoto that manufactures and sells handmade lacquerware with a great deal of originality, fusing natural wood and metal.

Originally a subcontractor company that undertook the processing of wood molds, plastic resins, and metals, U-en Art began to produce Buddhist altarware by chance, and in 2020 started a lacquerware workshop that utilizes the processing techniques it has cultivated over the years.

The combination of different materials, natural wood and metal, is a world that requires advanced techniques and experience.

The exquisite handiwork produces pieces with a warmth that cannot be produced in mass production.

The company name "U-en Art" is a combination of the word "yu-yu", which means "elegant" lacquerware, and "en", which means "to connect" or "to form a bond".

We carefully handcraft each piece with the hope that our lacquerware will bring smiles to the faces of many customers.

Characteristic

A stunning pairing of metal and natural wood

At U-en Art, all-natural wood and metal are processed in-house to make our products.

Lacquerware cannot be made in a single step, as natural wood needs to be allowed to dry sufficiently and the wood base is produced when the changes have stabilized.

Wood expands and contracts according to temperature and humidity, so we carefully calculate these factors while processing the wooden base.

The part to be processed by machine also requires many years of intuition and skill, so it is not an easy process.

Once the wood is finished, it is carefully polished by hand.

This polishing process must be done with great care in order to produce smooth and beautiful lacquer ware.

The lacquering process is then repeated many times using techniques such as "suri-urushi" (wiping lacquer) and "mehajiki" lacquer.

The process is carried out multiple times while maintaining appropriate temperature and humidity control, resulting in a vivid and beautiful luster.

In addition, by combining metal materials, we create unique products.

Metal is the opposite of wood and is characterized by its "unchanging" quality.

Only craftsmen who are proficient in both wood and metal processing are able to fuse them together.

For Customers

A combination of different materials that you won't find anywhere else!

We have created innovative lacquerware by mixing our expertise in wood and metal processing, which was originally our forte, with the lacquer coating techniques we have since developed.

Natural wood is difficult to handle because cracks and fissures can occur during the manufacturing process, but our strength lies in our ability to fine-tune the final product through our integrated in-house production.

We hope that many people will appreciate the quality of lacquerware, which has been handed down since ancient times in Japan, and feel a little happiness while enjoying their favorite beverage.

Some people have a negative impression that lacquerware is expensive and difficult to care for, but once they actually use it, many of them find it hard to put it down, saying that it makes their drinks taste better and that it is comfortable to use.

We will continue to listen to our customers and create lacquerware that enriches people's lives.