A Study of Wrinkle Patterns in Urushiol Coatings

2026

1: Exhibited piece (Instagram @yuta.origami) / 2–3: Prototype samples / 4: Close-up of the wrinkle pattern / Video: curing process of thickly applied lacquer (3000x speed)


350×280×30mm / Urushi (Japanese lacquer), acrylic, hinoki / 2026

Yuta Shimoda (@yuta.origami) × Fuuka Nakahara (@fooooka)

When lacquer (urushi) is applied thickly in a hot, humid environment, wrinkles appear on its surface — because the surface and the layers beneath it cure at different speeds. In traditional lacquerware, this has long been considered a flaw. But we came to see these wrinkles as a new expression of the material itself, and have been observing and studying the wrinkle patterns that emerge under a range of conditions.

Lacquer doesn't dry — it cures by absorbing moisture, which is why humid, rainy-season conditions tend to produce wrinkles. Japanese lacquer craft already has techniques, such as karanuri and nanako-nuri, that deliberately create texture and pattern through unevenness. We see the same potential in what has long been treated as an error. By varying the conditions, we prototyped a range of wrinkle patterns.

Presented at "AWASE gallery 1st Anniversary" (AWASE gallery, Shinjuku, Tokyo, June 6–21, 2026).

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