Bic Tieu pays tribute to Takashi Wakamiya, who was a key part of her own lacquer journey.

The exhibition Crafting Life: Stories from the Japanese Studio matched three Australian curators with three Japanese craftspersons. Bic Tieu presented the work of lacquer master Takashi Wakamiya, who founded the Hikoju Makie studio. Takashi Wakamiya tragically died just before the exhibition opened. Below is a brief tribute to this lacquer master and a personal reflection from Bic Tieu.

Takashi Wakamiya (1964–2025)

Hikoju Makie (彦十蒔絵) is a contemporary Japanese lacquer studio founded by the late Takashi Wakamiya (1964–2025), a renowned lacquer practitioner known for his craftsmanship and innovative approach to maki-e. This traditional technique involves sprinkling metallic powders onto a wet lacquer surface, creating intricate designs. In early 2025, Wakamiya entrusted the studio’s leadership to the next generation. Hikoju Makie Co. Ltd. is now led by Teiren Taka and business partner Banjo Yamauchi of the Yamauchi Family Office. The studio’s origins trace back to Wajima, a historic lacquerware hub in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Under Wakamiya’s leadership for over twenty years, Hikoju Makie operated as a collaborative workshop, producing exquisite lacquerware, from tea utensils and writing boxes to contemporary objects. Working with 15 skilled artisans, Wakamiya dedicated his life to preserving and innovating Japanese lacquer traditions. He actively fostered emerging talent, challenging design conventions and pioneering material experimentation. His contributions extended beyond the studio—he served as President of the Wajima Lacquer Youth Association (2012), Cultural Exchange Envoy of the Agency for Cultural Affairs (2014), and was Director of the Lacquerware Association until his passing.

Hikoju Makie’s works embody spiritual and philosophical narratives linked to Japanese identity. Inspired by history, classical literature, and folklore, the studio’s meticulous brushwork and sculptural forms showcase exceptional innovation. Their renowned material mimicry technique renders lacquer to resemble natural surfaces. The studio’s works feature in international exhibitions and collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and the Museum of Lacquer Art (Münster, Germany).

Bic Tieu

✿ What is your attraction to lacquer?

Growing up, I was enchanted by the souvenir lacquer objects brought home from my parent’s travel from Vietnam. Instead of playing with toys, I was enthralled by the goldfish image on a shiny black surface. During my undergraduate years, by chance, my mentor showed me a book on East Asian lacquer. This ignited an awakening and curiosity into learning about this material.

Lacquer is an ancient natural material endemic to the Asian region, with a history of over 5000 years. It was first discovered in China and used on artefacts to protect material like wood from rotting. The lacquer was applied onto religious paraphernalia like tombstones, vessels and bowls. Eventually, the material developed into an art form, fostering technical material innovation and trade, spreading across the Asian continent. Each country has its own stylistic aesthetic and practice, and like many of the other crafts, it has achieved remarkable technical applications.

What attracted me most to this medium was its lustrous characteristics and its potential as a surface design application and expression.

✿ What is your connection to the Hikoju Makie studio and Wajima, the town where it was established?

My curiosity towards Japanese lacquerware really began when I came across an exquisite work in a beautiful publication during my undergraduate years studying design at the University of NSW. This inquiry into the medium led to a research-led, practice-based dissertation in which I examined Vietnamese lacquer and its application to contemporary jewellery and object design. I wanted to pursue the art form and knew that the Japanese were leaders in this field.

Lacquer studios in Japan are fiercely guarded, and through the extraordinary support and effort made by Lesley Kehoe, I was able to study traditional Japanese lacquer at the Unryuan Kitamura Studio between the years 2009–2011. I was successful with an Ian Potter Cultural Grant, Asialink Residency Grant, and patronage from Pauline Gandel and Raphy Star, which made it possible for a two-year residency studying this traditional art form. During this time, I developed a friendship with Teiren Taka (Wawa), who was working for another established lacquer studio, Hikoju Makie.

In 2018, I returned to Japan to spend time nourishing my metal and lacquer skills, this time working with Takashi Wakimiya-san and Wawa, alongside members of the Hikoju Makie Studio. Wakamiya-san taught me the Japanese eggshell technique using quail eggs.

About Bic Tieu

Bic Tieu is a designer, object maker and jeweller. Her works draw on traditional and contemporary craft and design methods inspired by her Asian and Australian cultural lineages to investigate themes of personal and cross-cultural narratives. Specialising in metal technologies, manufacturing processes, and traditional Vietnamese and Japanese lacquer, her practice often utilises a synthesis of these materials to create new perspectives on contemporary object-making and meanings. Follow @bictieustudio and visit www.bictieu.com.

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Crafting Life: Stories from the Japanese Studio, Japan Foundation Sydney, April 11 – September 27, 2025

Photographic credits: DOCUMENT

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Bic Tieu | dedication | exhibition | Japan | lacquer