Matsuda Gonroku, a giant of the craft world, created a monumental body of work in modern lacquer art and made an exceptionally important contribution to the development of Japan’s traditional crafts.

Born in Kanazawa city, Matsuda built on the tradition of Kaga maki-e while deepening his art through his acquaintance with Masaki Naohiko, Director of the Tokyo Fine Arts School, and the eminent tea master Masuda Takashi (known as Donnō); through study of classical works from the Muromachi and Momoyama periods; and through numerous conservation and restoration projects, including lacquerware excavated from Han-dynasty tombs at Lelang on the Korean peninsula and the Golden Hall of Chūson-ji Temple. With keen insight and discerning judgment, he illuminated the designs, styles, and a broad range of techniques of lacquer art and brought them to bear on his own creative practice. His achievement may justly be said to stand as a landmark of modern lacquer art.

This exhibition presents approximately seventy of Matsuda’s principal works. It also includes classical works and pieces by his teachers that were instrumental in shaping his artistic development, as well as representative works by artists who have carried his legacy forward. Through an entirely new curatorial approach, the exhibition offers an unprecedented view of the essence of Matsuda Gonroku’s art and its enduring significance for contemporary lacquer.