Satoshi Someya has produced a cerebrally engaging and visually alluring exhibition. His "Digesting Decoration" positions him among the most significant contemporary lacquer artists working today. The primary concern is with "use," as in the particularly utilitarian function of craft, as opposed to the ostensible "uselessness" of fine art. Someya aims to subtly problematize that essentialism, while establishing himself in a gray zone between the two.
His earlier works focused on individualized fine art objects, for which he used wooden containers that acted like sculptural plinths for the lacquered works placed atop. These were often dramatically posed animal or human figures, and the surfaces were treated as 3-dimensional painting supports on which miniature designs were configured.
Earlier too, he used conventional lacquered bowls, the kind used for serving miso soup, and incorporated them into sculptural constructions that relieved the vessels of their practical usages. Furthermore, he subtitled them with first-name personal pronouns such as Taro and Hanako. Thereby individualized, the pieces seemed to warrant exemption from the designation of being a craft, as they avoided the characteristic of repetition.