This One

This is Yokouchi’s largest and finest work to date. After drawing a rough sketch, she carved the core from Styrofoam and then covered it with hemp cloth and Japanese mulberry paper, affixing both materials with mugiurushi, an adhesive made of wheat flour mixed with lacquer. To fashion a smooth surface, she applied multiple layers of coarse and then finely grated clay powder mixed with lacquer. Finally, she decorated the sculpture with gold powder, mother-of-pearl, eggshell, seashell, and other substances, using traditional techniques. Yokouchi spent about six months making this object, which demonstrates her intention to showcase the myriad textures lacquer artworks can have. The artist also sought to confront the viewer with a work resembling an all-seeing eye.