Kenji Honma is an artist living in Japan. He cultivates his own urushi trees for more than a decade, harvesting natural lacquer sap, before transforming the tree itself into sculptural works. His practice is rooted in a deep engagement with material and time. Through a process grounded in duration and care, he approaches traditional lacquer practices while revealing the inner structure and memory embedded within the wood.
What was the inspiration for your Steinbeisser pieces?
The works come from my ongoing practice of cultivating urushi trees and working with them over time. After harvesting the lacquer, I began to think about the tree itself, what remains, and how it can continue to exist in another form.
For these pieces, I worked with wood that has already fulfilled its primary role, either through the extraction of sap or as firewood, and explored how minimal intervention can transform its presence.
Describe your work in 3 words!
Time. Transformation. Trace.
What kind of materials do you use and where do you get them from?
I work with wood and urushi lacquer. All materials are sourced in Japan, and I also harvest urushi from trees that I cultivate myself.
Which conscious lifestyle choices are you making and are you considering any new ones?
I plant urushi trees, care for them over more than a decade, harvest the lacquer, and then make works from the trees after their role has ended. This way of living, working with the material over time, is something I intend to continue for the rest of my life.
What have you rebelled against in the past and what are you rebelling against now?
I have felt, and continue to feel, a quiet rebellion against the irrationality of humanity’s power games. My work carries a persistent resistance to values of efficiency and immediacy.