Octagonal Lidded Box with Kirikane Design: “Sprouting” (2015) Sculpture by Ai Imamura

Ai Imamura uses Japanese cedar that has been buried in the ground for a long time. She uses this precious material to make boxes, which she decorates with detailed patterns using gold and silver foil cut into pieces only a few millimeters in size, always trying to express the feeling of natural beauty.
Jindai cedar is an ancient cedar that was buried in the ground due to volcanic eruption or other reasons for 2,500 to 2,600 years. The beautiful natural color comes from components in the soil moving into the wood before the wood is exposed to the air.
I cut the lines used in the design, eyeballing the dimensions, using a bamboo knife, which I also make myself. I use from four to six sheets of gold and platinum foil that I fuse together using a charcoal fire. The number of sheets that I fuse together depends on the application. I cut each line individually. I position them holding a brush in each hand and use Nikawa glue to secure them in place.

• Nationality: JAPAN
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains: Works by professional artists, Represented by a Gallery,
• Groups: Professional Artist Contemporary Japanese Artists Artists presented by a gallery