On January 1, 2024, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula. The quake caused more than 200 deaths and devastated the town of Wajima, famed for its traditional lacquer industry. More than half of the town’s 300 lacquer studios were destroyed, and many of its craftspeople had to abandon their work and homes. Few have been able to return. Melissa Bowers, a New York-based interior designer, connected with that devastating event by teaming up with Onishi Gallery, a New York City gallery specializing in Japanese art, and KOGEI USA, a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting traditional Japanese craft. In conjunction with the gallery’s October presentation of “The Spirit of Noto: Urushi Artists of Wajima,” Bowers’ own collection was shown in “Waves of Resilience.” Antiques and The Arts Weekly spoke with Bowers to learn more about the collection and the craft of Japanese laquerware.
What was the purpose of the exhibitions?
Interestingly enough, I have never been to Wajima but I feel, even with the Japanese culture, I have an ancestor that wrote many books on Japan, and all these years later, I’m in New York and the only other Bowers from our family. When I was approached by Nana [Onishi, gallery owner] to discuss a potential collaboration for a tabletop collection, I told her about my ancestor, which is amazing because he wrote so many books on Asian art and kabuki theater. There were a lot of things that aligned. I happened to be doing a tabletop collection for myself after 10 years of being in business. The collection is called ‘Layers,’ which is interesting because the whole process behind lacquerware is the building up of layers of lacquer.
And the connection to Wajima?
We forget where things come from. We forget the process behind things, and I’ve been trying to make people aware of, for example, where their food comes from. I find that today people are just very fast, non-intentional and really don’t get to the bottom of where things like lacquer come from. They want things quickly. That’s kind of where we started in this fast-paced environment. When I met Nana, she said, ‘We’re looking to create a tabletop collection using lacquer from Wajima, which then led to bringing it to the US market to make people aware of something a little non-traditional.’ I said, ‘Well, you came to the right person because I’m obsessed with function over design.’ To be able to collaborate with such amazing material was just wildly satisfying. I did an 11-piece design.
A percentage of the proceeds of Bowers’ collection goes to the new non-profit KOGEI USA whose mission is to foster Japanese craftsmanship in the United States.
Were the objects by the same artist?
The objects are made by a Japanese company called Senshudo. This is different from the other artist works exhibited at Onishi Gallery, which are made by National Living Treasures, the highest designation given by the Japanese government to select artisans. ‘Waves of Resilience’ is separate from that traditional show, which was being put on at the same time. They have two different meanings. One is homage, the other is to be new and to utilize the talent in a new way. ‘Waves of Resilience’ ties in with meditation and the idea that we are one. We created a 24-inch, beautiful lacquer tray that is quite large. When we talked to the craftsmen in Wajima via videoconference, they were very excited to get these new challenges. The 24-inch tray was something they had never done.
What is urushi and what is its importance to the town of Wajima?
Urushi is a natural lacquer derived from the sap of the urushi tree, traditionally used in Japan for coating and decorating objects with a durable, glossy finish. In Wajima, a coastal town in Ishikawa Prefecture, urushi is central to the renowned craft of Wajima-nuri lacquerware, celebrated for its intricate designs and exceptional durability. They start with the sap of the tree, which is harvested. Then the tree has to settle before they take from it again. This whole process is from nature — time and nature are the key elements. Some of the layers are mixed with different materials and the lacquer will go on by itself at the end just to give it that high gloss. If you’re doing any kind of inlay or design work, those go into the process as well. My pieces are pretty much one tone. I wanted to create something that was a little bit more contemporary.
When will you go to market with your collection?
We’ll go to the market in March. We are doing an exhibition at Bergdorf Goodman in coordination with Salon Art + Design in the spring to show the lacquer pieces. This will just bring it all home for me, sharing such a beautiful and historic building.
How many pieces will be shown?
Four pieces, with the full collection and catalog available at the gallery in March.
What is your next project?
After the gallery I hope to travel. We have to bring it to Paris. Have some dinners with the actual pieces. We want to do this in a very holistic way.
—W.A. Demers
