Recently, I've been finding the work of young metalwork artists quite interesting.

I've been wondering why, but I can't find a good answer.

Perhaps because metalwork doesn't have established concepts like ceramics or lacquerware, it allows for greater technical and stylistic freedom. Looking at the work of Yui Shakunaga , a metalwork artist currently attracting attention, one feels not only the technical skill and form, but also the emergence of a new sensibility.

Shakunaga was born into a family of potters in the traditional Etchu Seto region, but while his father and older siblings aspired to become ceramic artists, he became interested in "how the exposed steel framework of the building, left in the clay storage area in front of the house for many years, was naturally corroding."

She also says, "I've been fascinated by the beauty of antique spoons and copper pots on the dining table, along with the ceramics."

After graduating from university, he joined the jeweler "MIKIMOTO," where he acquired all kinds of metalworking techniques during his nine years there.

The technical skill evident in Shakunaga's work was likely cultivated during that time.

This exhibition will feature objects made from materials such as copper and tin, with holes of various sizes drilled into them, as well as tea utensils, ring-shaped lid rests, and small plates.

The wall sculpture titled "Heartbeat" is a new work in which tin is partially baked onto the surface and finished with a brownish color using sulfurization, and it is a highly accomplished and captivating piece.

This artist embraces both the strength and the fragility of metal as it decays, and I expect that by acquiring new technologies, he will achieve further development.

Kouichi Mori (Art critic, Standing Director of the Japan Ceramic Society)