Japanese metal crafts flourished from the peaceful Edo period through the sword ban and into the Meiji period, and were actively exported as part of national policy.
However, as time passed, it gradually fell into disuse, and the art and craft artisans disappeared.
Hiraku Sudo, born in 1979, was drawn to the beauty of metal and decided to pursue this path.
Being from Kyoto, he honed his skills in metalwork restoring antique art, and continues to make a living from that work to this day.
While restoring the works of master craftsmen of the past, in which the maker's aesthetic sense is imbued in every detail, what I learned was not only the many techniques but also the appeal of metal crafts that have stood the test of time.

The appearance of metalwork changes significantly once it leaves the hands of the craftsman, and this is part of the charm of the material.
For this reason, he focuses on using traditional materials such as gold, silver, copper, iron, and shakudo, as well as traditional decorative techniques such as casting, hammering, engraving, and inlay.
For his first solo exhibition, he created the atmosphere of the Japanese seasons using silver, as well as metal tea caddies and incense holders with brocade-like surfaces.

Keiko Aono