Collection: Yoko Ichikawa

 Born in Osaka in 1985, Yoko Ichikawa graduated from the Department of Crafts at Kyoto City University of Arts, majoring in lacquerware. She currently lives and works in Shiga Prefecture. 

Ichikawa’s practice centres on the once-extinct lacquer bark technique, revitalising this traditional process through her own contemporary interpretation. Her work is deeply informed by the worlds of handcraft, agriculture, and ethnology, reflecting her interest in the enduring cultural expressions that emerge within individuals and communities. 

Her canister series draws inspiration from ancient Japanese traditions of storing treasures and important documents in lacquered leather containers. As early as 550 AD, such vessels were believed to protect their contents, both physically and spiritually serving as talismans against misfortune. Over time, this practice faded as wooden containers became more common, but Ichikawa reimagines and revives it for the present day. 

The organic, sculptural forms of her works embody a philosophy of wabi-wabi, an ethos of minimising waste and embracing imperfection. What was once an animal’s protective skin, she transforms into refined, tactile vessels that safeguard human treasures. Through this act of renewal, Ichikawa restores material to meaning, extending the natural cycle of life and offering the skin a new existence through craft.