Yuka Mabune (真船 由佳)
Self-Introduction
I have loved drawing and making things with my hands ever since I was a child. Being praised for something I had made—and seeing it bring joy to someone—also gave me a deep sense of fulfillment. I grew up surrounded by the woodlands of Nasu and lived close to nature until I was thirty.
In high school, I vaguely imagined myself pursuing a career related to plants or the natural environment. I was very much a science-minded student and would boldly declare, “I don’t expect to make a living from art.” For some reason, I had also firmly decided that teaching was the one career I would never choose—yet I went on to study art education at university, and it was there that I encountered urushi (Japanese lacquer).
While studying under a teacher who was also an urushi artist, I became fascinated by the freedom of expression and the beautiful textures unique to urushi. I still remember the feeling that I had found something truly authentic. At the same time, however, I developed a severe reaction to urushi and had to step away from it for a while.
Even after I began working in my hometown, the feeling that “What I really want is to work with urushi” never left me. At local markets and events, I met radiant people who had mastered their crafts and brought smiles to others. Seeing them made me strongly wish to live my own life in the same way.
“If I am going to work with urushi, I want to make vessels for everyday use.” Having made that decision, I studied lacquerware making from the ground up at a training institute in Ishikawa Prefecture. My fulfilling years in Ishikawa have now reached the ten-year mark, and I feel deeply moved to have reached a point where people now choose vessels I have made myself.
Today, I make each wooden base myself on a woodturning lathe. I am continually fascinated by the depth of fuki-urushi, a technique that brings the natural grain of the wood to life, and I create vessels using natural dyes and colored urushi. In my search for pleasing forms and beautiful curves, I hope to make objects that become a part of everyday life, serving as a bridge between people and nature.
May they bring a little more richness to your days.
Biography
| 1986 | Born in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture |
| 2009 | Graduated from the Faculty of Education at Utsunomiya University, majoring in Art Education |
| 2011 | Began working at an elementary school as an educational activities assistant for Nasu Town |
| 2016 | Moved to Ishikawa Prefecture |
| 2019 | Began studying under Master of Traditional Crafts Kazuo Satake |
| 2021 | Completed the Specialized Course at the Ishikawa Prefectural Training Institute of Woodturning Work selected for the 61st Ishikawa Traditional Crafts Exhibition |
| 2023 | Established her independent practice after completing her training at a woodturning workshop |
| Present | Works in Yamanaka Onsen, Kaga, Ishikawa Prefecture |
October 2026
Introduction from the Shop Owner
I first met Mabune-san in April 2025 at the inaugural Ashikaga Craft Fair. The moment I stepped into her tent, my eyes went straight to a vessel displayed at the very back, and I could not look away.
My usual curiosity took over, and I began peppering her with questions. Before long, my interest had expanded beyond the vessels to Mabune-san herself, and there was no stopping me.
Realizing that I should not interfere with her business for too long, I chose one of the three vessels. I became so absorbed in our conversation that I forgot to pay for it and took it home. It is the decoratively turned vessel shown in the photograph.
I contacted her soon afterward, and in May she welcomed me to her workshop in Yamanaka Onsen.
The workshop, steeped in history, was filled with remarkable sights: a swallow’s nest inside the entrance, with part of a windowpane removed so the birds could come and go; countless roughly turned vessels left behind in the workshop; a room containing the stove once used to burn wood shavings, with a drying chamber built above its ceiling; a small, light-filled workspace reached by climbing a staircase that felt as though it led into an attic; and a magnificent lathe that was truly a sight to behold.
I climbed down into the recessed space around the lathe, built almost like a sunken kotatsu, while she explained how it worked. She showed me how she uses her many different cutting tools and gave me demonstrations as well.
Humble and unassuming, Mabune-san answered every one of my endlessly arising questions with care, making sure along the way that I understood. When she did not know something, she simply said so. There was a pure-hearted earnestness, sincerity, and warmth in the way she spoke.
It was a deeply rewarding visit, allowing me to experience, together with the place itself, the tools and techniques that have been passed down there through generations.
Four months later, I visited her again at a craft fair in Tsunan, where she showed me several new pieces. Her own character had become even more deeply embodied in the vessels, and I was so impressed that I asked her then and there to create pieces for the shop. “What if we used this finish for this piece?” “How about combining this form with this particular feeling?” We discussed ideas together as she took notes.
I later had another opportunity to meet Mabune-san and purchased the vessel shown in the photograph. The decoration, drawn in a single continuous brushstroke, also reflects Mabune-san’s distinctive character.
Mabune-san’s vessels are like pieces of herself. Please consider making one part of your everyday life.
October 2026