{"title":"wataboku","description":"\u003cp\u003ewataboku is a Japanese artist whose practice grew out of social media and now extends to painting and exhibition. At the centre of the work is SAI, a girl in school uniform who recurs across hundreds of images less as a character than as an icon: a face through which states of mind — defiance, fatigue, tenderness, unease — are registered in the eyes, the angle of a gaze, the smallest shift of expression.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeginning in digital drawing, wataboku has in recent years turned increasingly to acrylic on canvas and to themes of scars, pain and the invisible pressures that shape contemporary life. A first monograph, \u003cem\u003eKan 0\u003c\/em\u003e, was published by Pony Canyon in 2016; a second, \u003cem\u003eVSI\u003c\/em\u003e, followed from PIE International in 2022. Solo exhibitions have been held across Japan and in several cities in Asia. Collaborations include the Yohji Yamamoto Spring\/Summer 2022 collection, the music video for Ryokuoushoku Shakai's “Mela!”, artwork for the singer tuki., and the cover art for Tow Ubukata's novel \u003cem\u003eTwelve Suicidal Children\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ewataboku's work is presented in Europe by Tokiol and will be shown at Art Market Budapest in October 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSelected exhibitions\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e2026 Art Market Budapest, Budapest (with Tokiol)\u003cbr\u003e2023 Solo exhibition, PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO, Tokyo\u003cbr\u003e2022 \u003cem\u003eCommand City\u003c\/em\u003e, Anicoremix Gallery, Tokyo\u003cbr\u003e2021 \u003cem\u003eWHO\u003c\/em\u003e, SORTone Gallery, Tokyo\u003cbr\u003e2016 Solo exhibition, ROCKET, Tokyo\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePublications\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVSI\u003c\/em\u003e, PIE International, 2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eKan 0\u003c\/em\u003e, Pony Canyon, 2016\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"wataboku-mukuro","title":"Mukuro","description":"\u003cp\u003eA tight, wary half-smile, a hand raised to the cheek, and a ribbon of silver leaf, warmed to gold by the lacquer, that runs across her face like a crack in the surface before slipping out of the frame. Of the three panels, this is the one with an edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat sets this panel apart\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBackground: a stacked-stone pattern (ishizumi) in kijiro urushi, the clear, translucent lacquer that lets the gold glow through. The breath leaving her mouth is drawn in the same pattern, so the lacquer is not only the setting but part of her. Eyes: blue.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA word on Mukuro\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you want a panel with tension in it, this is the one. She is guarded, but not closed. The stone-like pattern gathers around her mouth, as if what she does not say had taken physical form. Rest your eyes on the blue of hers against the warm gold, then step to one side: the lacquer moves with the light, and the picture moves with it. A face like this is made to live with, because it is never quite the same twice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNatural-patterned art\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNatural-patterned art is a new method of expression that combines 100% natural, genuine urushi lacquer with materials other than wood, drawing on techniques cultivated over many years of lacquerware restoration. When lacquer meets metal foil, the pattern that forms during the time the lacquer takes to dry is entirely its own and can never be repeated, so this panel exists in one state only. Patterns of this kind include urushi flowers, bark, shaken and fissured patterns.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow it is made\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a first collaboration between natural patterns and printed acrylic. After repeated tests of how ink and lacquer behave together, the drawing is printed on an acrylic panel mounted on iron. Lacquer is then applied over the silver leaf and polished, again and again, until the layers give the surface its depth. The translucent, amber lacquer is what turns the silver to gold. Fine details are added by hand with a maki-e brush. Lacquer has been part of Japanese life and culture for over 9,000 years, and overseas the craft is known simply as \"japan\".\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/lacquer-process-polishing.jpg?v=1791641981\" alt=\"A craftsperson in gloves polishing a lacquered panel by hand, with a bowl of amber urushi lacquer beside it\" style=\"max-width:60%;height:auto\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003e\u003cem\u003ePolishing a lacquered panel by hand: coats of urushi are applied and polished again and again.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/lacquer-process-maki-e-brush.jpg?v=1791641981\" alt=\"A fine brush adding detail over cracked silver leaf and amber lacquer\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003e\u003cem\u003eFine detail added with a brush over silver leaf and lacquer.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022. 60 × 30 cm (artwork). Presented in a slim wooden frame, black on the outside with a fine gold line on the inner edge. A unique work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor indoor display only, away from direct sunlight, fire, stoves and air-conditioning vents.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe lacquer, especially on the back, scratches easily: handle the framed work with care and hang it on a wall free of uneven parts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe panel may deform if hung for a very long time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClean gently with a soft cloth such as gauze and lukewarm water with a 1–2% neutral kitchen detergent solution. Do not wipe with a dry towel, glass cleaner, thinner, alcohol or anti-static cleaners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease allow around one month after payment before dispatch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"wataboku","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59096520196428,"sku":null,"price":2500.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/tokiol-wataboku-mukuro-framed.jpg?v=1791966569"},{"product_id":"wataboku-saturn","title":"Saturn","description":"\u003cp\u003eShe faces us squarely, calm and unblinking, while a thin ring of light circles her shoulders like the rings of the planet. Silver leaf, warmed to gold by the lacquer, breaks open on either side and fine lines fan outward from her face. The most composed of the three panels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat sets this panel apart\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBackground: urushi flowers, blooms of lacquer that open like flowers across the leaf as it dries. Eyes: blue.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA word on Saturn\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe quietest of the three, and perhaps the most commanding. She looks straight out, unhurried, with a thin ring of light around her, like the rings of the planet she is named for. Behind her the lacquer has flowered on its own, in a pattern no one could have drawn. Calm in the picture, alive in the surface: that contrast is what makes Saturn a panel you can hang in a living room and still not finish looking at.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNatural-patterned art\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNatural-patterned art is a new method of expression that combines 100% natural, genuine urushi lacquer with materials other than wood, drawing on techniques cultivated over many years of lacquerware restoration. When lacquer meets metal foil, the pattern that forms during the time the lacquer takes to dry is entirely its own and can never be repeated, so this panel exists in one state only. Patterns of this kind include urushi flowers, bark, shaken and fissured patterns.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow it is made\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a first collaboration between natural patterns and printed acrylic. After repeated tests of how ink and lacquer behave together, the drawing is printed on an acrylic panel mounted on iron. Lacquer is then applied over the silver leaf and polished, again and again, until the layers give the surface its depth. The translucent, amber lacquer is what turns the silver to gold. Fine details are added by hand with a maki-e brush. Lacquer has been part of Japanese life and culture for over 9,000 years, and overseas the craft is known simply as \"japan\".\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/lacquer-process-polishing.jpg?v=1791641981\" alt=\"A craftsperson in gloves polishing a lacquered panel by hand, with a bowl of amber urushi lacquer beside it\" style=\"max-width:60%;height:auto\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003e\u003cem\u003ePolishing a lacquered panel by hand: coats of urushi are applied and polished again and again.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/lacquer-process-maki-e-brush.jpg?v=1791641981\" alt=\"A fine brush adding detail over cracked silver leaf and amber lacquer\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003e\u003cem\u003eFine detail added with a brush over silver leaf and lacquer.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022. 60 × 30 cm (artwork). Presented in a slim wooden frame, black on the outside with a fine gold line on the inner edge. A unique work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor indoor display only, away from direct sunlight, fire, stoves and air-conditioning vents.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe lacquer, especially on the back, scratches easily: handle the framed work with care and hang it on a wall free of uneven parts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe panel may deform if hung for a very long time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClean gently with a soft cloth such as gauze and lukewarm water with a 1–2% neutral kitchen detergent solution. Do not wipe with a dry towel, glass cleaner, thinner, alcohol or anti-static cleaners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease allow around one month after payment before dispatch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"wataboku","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59096536187212,"sku":null,"price":2500.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/tokiol-wataboku-saturn-framed.jpg?v=1791966569"},{"product_id":"wataboku-hikari","title":"Hikari","description":"\u003cp\u003eHer head is turned three-quarters, one hand lifted to her eye, her glance slipping to the side. Behind her the silver leaf, warmed to gold by the lacquer, has cracked like dry earth, so that the light seems to rise from the ground itself. The most intimate of the three panels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat sets this panel apart\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBackground: a fine fissure pattern in kijiro urushi, the clear, translucent lacquer. The cracks are laid in on the diagonal across the panel. Eyes: blue.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA word on Hikari\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe most intimate of the three, and the one that rewards looking closely. Her glance slips away from us, her hand rises to her face, and behind her the surface has split into countless fine cracks, running at an angle, as though light were coming up through the ground. From across the room it reads as a soft, warm glow; step closer and it becomes a map. It is a panel for a quiet wall, for someone who likes to find something new each time they pass.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNatural-patterned art\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNatural-patterned art is a new method of expression that combines 100% natural, genuine urushi lacquer with materials other than wood, drawing on techniques cultivated over many years of lacquerware restoration. When lacquer meets metal foil, the pattern that forms during the time the lacquer takes to dry is entirely its own and can never be repeated, so this panel exists in one state only. Patterns of this kind include urushi flowers, bark, shaken and fissured patterns.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow it is made\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a first collaboration between natural patterns and printed acrylic. After repeated tests of how ink and lacquer behave together, the drawing is printed on an acrylic panel mounted on iron. Lacquer is then applied over the silver leaf and polished, again and again, until the layers give the surface its depth. The translucent, amber lacquer is what turns the silver to gold. Fine details are added by hand with a maki-e brush. Lacquer has been part of Japanese life and culture for over 9,000 years, and overseas the craft is known simply as \"japan\".\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/lacquer-process-polishing.jpg?v=1791641981\" alt=\"A craftsperson in gloves polishing a lacquered panel by hand, with a bowl of amber urushi lacquer beside it\" style=\"max-width:60%;height:auto\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003e\u003cem\u003ePolishing a lacquered panel by hand: coats of urushi are applied and polished again and again.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/lacquer-process-maki-e-brush.jpg?v=1791641981\" alt=\"A fine brush adding detail over cracked silver leaf and amber lacquer\" style=\"max-width:100%;height:auto\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003e\u003cem\u003eFine detail added with a brush over silver leaf and lacquer.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2022. 60 × 30 cm (artwork). Presented in a slim wooden frame, black on the outside with a fine gold line on the inner edge. A unique work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFor indoor display only, away from direct sunlight, fire, stoves and air-conditioning vents.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe lacquer, especially on the back, scratches easily: handle the framed work with care and hang it on a wall free of uneven parts.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe panel may deform if hung for a very long time.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClean gently with a soft cloth such as gauze and lukewarm water with a 1–2% neutral kitchen detergent solution. Do not wipe with a dry towel, glass cleaner, thinner, alcohol or anti-static cleaners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease allow around one month after payment before dispatch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"wataboku","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59096542347596,"sku":null,"price":2500.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/tokiol-wataboku-hikari-framed.jpg?v=1791966569"},{"product_id":"wataboku-sketch-02","title":"Sketch 02","description":"\u003cp\u003ePencil and sumi ink, in a wooden frame. 42.0 × 59.4 cm (DIN A2). A unique original drawing, signed by the artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease allow around six weeks after payment before dispatch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"wataboku","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59147472961868,"sku":null,"price":700.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/tokiol-wataboku-sketch-02-framed.jpg?v=1792254220"},{"product_id":"wataboku-sketch-03","title":"Sketch 03","description":"\u003cp\u003ePencil and sumi ink, in a wooden frame. 42.0 × 59.4 cm (DIN A2). A unique original drawing, signed by the artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease allow around six weeks after payment before dispatch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"wataboku","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59147473387852,"sku":null,"price":700.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/tokiol-wataboku-sketch-03-framed.jpg?v=1792254220"},{"product_id":"wataboku-sketch-04","title":"Sketch 04","description":"\u003cp\u003ePencil and sumi ink, in a wooden frame. 42.0 × 59.4 cm (DIN A2). A unique original drawing, signed by the artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease allow around six weeks after payment before dispatch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"wataboku","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59147473420620,"sku":null,"price":700.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1099\/9558\/9964\/files\/tokiol-wataboku-sketch-04-framed.jpg?v=1792254220"}],"url":"https:\/\/tokiol.io\/collections\/wataboku.oembed","provider":"TOKIOL","version":"1.0","type":"link"}