球体の正体 森田 志宝Sphere Identity MORITA Shiho

蜘蛛の巣に雨の雫が弾かれている様を見た人は多いだろう。蜘蛛が驚異的に根気のいる作業によって編みあげた網に、小さな水滴が連なり陽を受けて光っている。その様は生物が本能のままに織りなす神秘的な芸術だ。
森田志宝は蜘蛛の糸と水滴が作る表面張力の作用を絹糸と漆で試みた。絹糸に弾かれた漆の微小な滴を土台に、筆で漆を塗り、乾くのを待つ。そして再び塗る。その作業を繰り返していくことによって最初のごく小さな玉がやがて少しずつ大きくなっていく。
森田はその行為を「漆を育てる」という。確かにその成長はごく僅かずつなのだが、筆で塗り重ねる日々の作業を続けていくと漆の球はまるで生きているがごとくゆっくりと育っていくのである。

京都生まれの森田は小学校の時に学校の授業で訪れた工房巡りで出会った漆職人の手仕事に魅了され、いつか漆の仕事をしてみたいと幼心に思う。その意志は次第に切実なものとなり、やがて美術系の高校に進み、富山大学芸術文化学部にて漆を専攻。あるとき、漆を使った現代美術の作品を目にし、漆が特別な素材ゆえに、作品となった時もたらされる特異なオーラに圧倒され、自分の目指す道を決める。

卒業後は山中塗りの職人として職を得、職業として塗師をしながらその技術は当初から、いずれ自分の作品制作に生かそうと思っていたという。

一本の木から生まれる漆の量はおよそ200gにも満たない。木肌に傷をつけ漆を採取したらその後は樹は枯れてしまう。その分だけを使用して束にした作品「漆の木」シリーズは一本一本の漆の木が生きていたという証にもなると、森田は思っている。今はほとんど輸入に頼る原材料が自国で生産できない現状にも心が揺れる。

素材も技術も、制作意図も自分の望む形になるまで努力する。完成まで妥協をしないこと。
そのためには長い長い覚悟がいるがそれは高みに至ろうとすれば必ずついて回るもの。
一日一日をひたすらに研鑽するのみだと思っている。

 

森田 志宝 (もりた・しほ)

1990年 京都府出身
2013年 富山大学芸術文化学部 卒業
2016年 富山大学大学院 芸術文化学研究科 修了

主な個展
2014年 「clearunclear」(企画展 ARTBOX152) 西田美術館/富山(上市)
2017年 「こびりついた偶然」Ohshima Fine Art/東京
2019年 「漆の表面張力」KUNST ARZT/京都
「漆雫」穂上画廊/富山(入善)
2021年 「滴の放流」KUNST ARZT/京都
「滴を育てる/Growing drops」ギャラリー無量/富山(砺波)
「球体の正体」彗星倶楽部・古道具緑青・石引にて/金沢

Many people have probably seen raindrops being repelled on a spider’s web. On the web, woven by the spider’s amazingly patient work, is a line of droplets of water, glistening in the sunlight. It is a mystical art form woven by the instinct of the creature.
Shiho Morita attempted to create the effect of surface tension of spider threads and water droplets by using silk threads and Japanese urushi lacquer. On the basis of tiny drops of lacquer repelled by silk threads, the lacquer is applied with a brush and allowed to dry. Then the lacquer is applied again. By repeating this process, the initial tiny balls of lacquer gradually grow in size.
Morita calls this process “growing lacquer”. The growth is very gradual, but as she continues the daily process of painting with a brush, the balls of lacquer grow slowly, as if they were alive.

Morita, who was born in Kyoto, was fascinated by the handiwork of lacquer craftspeople she came across during the studio visits as part of the curriculum of her primary school. Morita knew in her childhood that she wanted to work with lacquer one day. This desire gradually became more and more serious, and Morita eventually went on to an art high school and majored in lacquer at the School of Art and Design, University of Toyama. One day, she saw a contemporary art work using lacquer. Morita was overwhelmed by the unique aura of lacquer as a special material when it became a work of art, and decided on her own path with lacquer.

After graduation, she found a job as a Yamanaka Lacquerware craftsperson, and while working there by profession, she always intended to utilise her skills in her own artwork one day.

The amount of lacquer produced from a single tree is less than 200g. Once the bark is damaged and the lacquer extracted, the tree dies. Morita believes that the LacquerTree series, in which only that amount of lacquer is used to make a bundle, can be living evidence of each lacquer tree. She is also disturbed by the current situation where raw materials, which are now mostly imported, cannot be produced in her own country.

Morita strives until the material, the technique and the production intentions are exactly the way she wants them to be. Never compromise until completion. It takes much determination to achieve this, but it is something that will always follow you if you try to reach a higher level. All she can do, Morita believes, is to study diligently, one day at a time.

Shiho Morita

1990 Born in Kyoto
2013 Graduated from the School of Art and Design, University of Toyama
2016 Completed postgraduate studies at the Graduate School of Art and Design, University of Toyama

Selected solo exhibitions
2014 clearunclear, as part of the special exhibition ARTBOX152, Nishida Museum of Art, Kamiichi, Toyama
2017 Kobiri tsuita gūzen (Stuck Coincidence), Ohshima Fine Art, Tokyo
2019 Surface Tension of Lacquer, KUNST ARZT, Kyoto
Lacquer Drops, Honoue Gallery, Nyuzen, Toyama
2021 Shizuku no hōryū (Releasing Drops), KUNST ARZT, Kyoto
Growing drops, Gallery MURYOW, Tonami, Toyama
Kyutai no shōtai (The True Nature of the Sphere), at Suisei-Art and Antique Shop Rokusho and in Ishibiki, Kanazawa, Ishikawa

 

 

photo:hiraku ikeda

森田 志宝 MORITA Shiho

Website: https://www.moritashiho.com/