Untitled by Yuji Okada (1948-2022)

Lacquer on wood, suzuita (tin sheet) and brass

Japan, 1987

Exhibited: 26th National Modern Crafts Exhibition, 1987

Born in Kyoto, Okada Yuji studied lacquer art at the Art and Craft department of the Kyoto City Hiyoshigaoka high school, receiving the highest prize for his graduation project in 1967. His early training continued under the mentorship of lacquer artist Ito Yuji.

In 1970, Okada made his debut in the Kyoto Prefecture Arts and Crafts Exhibition, where he won his first award, marking the beginning of his artistic career. He went on to participate in a range of prestigious public exhibitions, including the Nitten [Japan Fine Arts Exhibition] and the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition, winning numerous awards. Recognised for his expertise and sophisticated technique in the art of lacquer, Okada was appointed as a judge for the Japan Contemporary Arts and Crafts Exhibition in 1988.

By the late 1990s, Okada had begun to exhibit his lacquer sculptures internationally. In 1999, he showed three of his dry-lacquer works at an art festival in New York. Subsequently, his works were exhibited widely in Europe and the USA.

Since 2003, Okada dedicated himself to the art of lacquer in multiple ways, by not only creating his new works but also restoring damaged lacquer pieces for the trade and private collectors. He also welcomed international apprentices from the USA, the UK, Germany, Italy and Switzerland as a means of passing on his expertise to future generations of artists.

In 2022, Okada sensei passed away, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire artists of the field.

Okada’s works can be found in the collection of museums including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Denver Art Museum, the Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in the USA, as well as the Shimizu Sannenzaka Museum in Kyoto.