Traditional Craft 'Raden' Sublimated into the Digital World: Contemporary Artist Terumasa Ikeda's Works Exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK

Terumasa Ikeda Victoria and Albert Museum Collection

Works by lacquer artist Terumasa Ikeda, who is affiliated with the Ginza Ippodo Gallery, are being exhibited as the main visual at 'Urushi Now: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer,' which opened on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London.

This exhibition introduces diverse expressions of the 21st century through the material and techniques of lacquer, which has a history of over 7,000 years in Japan.

Ikeda is known for his innovative expressions that incorporate modern scientific technologies such as laser processing and ultrasonic vibration into the decorative technique of raden, which has existed since the Nara period and involves attaching the nacreous layer of abalone and other shells to lacquerware.

What is particularly distinctive is his use of numbers as a design motif. Instead of traditional nature-inspired patterns, he uses the symbol of 'numbers,' which can be understood by anyone worldwide, in his raden works, marking a novel approach.

Furthermore, he cuts tiny shell pieces into shapes of integrated circuits and pixels, embedding them to establish a unique expression where 'digital and nature' and 'organic and inorganic' intersect.

'The Beauty of Numbers' Discovered by a Boy Fascinated by Religious Architecture In high school, Ikeda participated in a world heritage restoration project in Nepal, which sparked his fascination with the decorative beauty of religious architecture around the world, including Bhaktapur, Angkor Wat, and Cologne Cathedral.

'I was overwhelmed by touching the decorations created by human hands long ago. I wondered if I could create such timeless beauty myself.'

The motif he, living in the digital generation, chose is 'numbers,' a symbol of the 'information age.'

His style involves cutting shells with lasers, polishing tiny shell pieces while vibrating them with ultrasound, and arranging them on lacquer vessels as patterns resembling 'numbers' or 'signals.'

This is a valuable opportunity to see the current state of Japanese lacquer expression in London. Please stop by if you are in the area.

Exhibition Information

Exhibition Name

'Urushi Now: Contemporary Japanese Lacquer'

Venue

V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL Japan, Room 45, The Toshiba Gallery

Dates

Thursday, April 30, 2026 - Friday, April 30, 2027

Admission

Free

View Official Website

Terumasa Ikeda Profile

[Biography] 1987 Born in Chiba Prefecture 2014 Graduated from Kanazawa College of Art, Department of Crafts, Lacquer and Woodworking Course 2016 Completed Master's Program at Kanazawa College of Art Graduate School 2019 Completed Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo Currently Independent in Kanazawa City

[Exhibitions] 2023 Solo Exhibition 'Shell of Phantom Light' (Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Design Gallery, Ishikawa) 2023 'Super Technique, Towards the Future! Meiji Crafts and Their DNA' (Mitsui Memorial Museum, Tokyo) 2023 Solo Exhibition 'Terumasa Ikeda: Iridescent Lacquer' (Ippodo Gallery New York) 2023 'Pokemon x Crafts Exhibition: Great Discovery of Beauty and Technique' (National Crafts Museum, Ishikawa) 2022 'Genreless Crafts Exhibition' (National Crafts Museum, Ishikawa)

Terumasa Ikeda Homepage: https://www.terumasa-ikeda.com/

Gallery Introduction: Ginza Ippodo

Ginza Ippodo is a gallery that disseminates contemporary craft and art works to the world, based on traditional Japanese aesthetic sense and high-level techniques.

It provides a place to encounter unique expressions that resonate across time.

Exhibition schedules and details of artworks by represented artists including Terumasa Ikeda are regularly published on the official website.

Official Website: https://www.ippodogallery.com/