The reason almost all efforts in “Modern Lacquer” or “Contemporary Lacquer” end up being boring is that either simply copy the concepts of modern art in Japanese lacquer or they just produce uniformly standard shapes from being brainwashed by the ideology of “modern”(under such flowery concepts as “free form”, “natural”, “flow of consciousness”) One of the very few artists who have severed the ties to this type of modern artistic crafts is Katsuyuki Shirako, a member of the new generation of 21st century lacquer artists. Carefully selected shapes, carved from base materials (MDF, Japanese Oak and/or Lime tree) are minutely assembled together into a delicate objet onto which the absolute minimal lacquer is applied that nonetheless produces the most beautiful and brilliant shine. With absolute and painstaking attention to the concept of his objet, starting from the creation of the base wood and extending to the application of the lacquer, his three dimensional works surprisingly have the silent tension that fills traditional lacquer. This tension is still further crystallized in his photographic works that pair the eternity of lacquer with the transience of flowers to create a beautiful contrast of two different times.
by Professor Minoru Shimizu (contemporary art critic)

To create my work, I layer multiple images of things in the nature. It is why my work does not represent a specific being, but brings unlimited imagination to its viewers. For “exhibition 3” I would like viewers to enjoy not only my works themselves but also the whole atmosphere of the show created by the works and the gallery space.
by Katsuyuki Shirako