Kuniko aoi is a Kyoto-based abstract artist working primarily with Urushi (Japanese lacquer).Using urushi—a traditional Japanese natural lacquer—as a painting medium rather than a craft material, Aoi explores themes of ambiguity, acceptance, and the coexistence of multiple states of being....
Read MoreKuniko aoi is a Kyoto-based abstract artist working primarily with Urushi (Japanese lacquer).
Using urushi—a traditional Japanese natural lacquer—as a painting medium rather than a craft material, Aoi explores themes of ambiguity, acceptance, and the coexistence of multiple states of being. Through a process that embraces permeability, transformation, and the limits of control, her work reflects on inner landscapes and the act of allowing things to exist as they are.
Urushi, which gradually changes its expression over time, is approached not as a surface finish but as a material capable of permeating, accumulating, and revealing traces of presence. Through this approach, Aoi seeks to expand the possibilities of urushi within contemporary abstract painting.
After leaving Japan’s civil service in 2017, Aoi studied picture book creation before turning to abstract painting in 2023.
Selected exhibitions:
– Group exhibitions in Kyoto (2023–2024)
– Permanent display at Gallery Morinouo (2024)
