Banura Yuji, the second of five sons to important Kyoto lacquer artist, Banura Shogo, has dedicated much of his artistic career to the depiction of birds of prey. This example, taken from a solo exhibition held in Kyoto’s Galerie Miyawaki in June 2004, depicts a hawk perched on a tall ledge. The technique is dry lacquer. First an armature is constructed of wire and woodchip mixed with lacquer to provide the basic structure, over which lacquer-soaked cloths are applied to create the finished form. It has a raw, tense, quality that perfectly captures the bird’s energy and power.

Throughout his long career, Yuji has been awarded many prizes for his work. The scale and material varies – from small tabletop works to massive, 1000 kg external bronze sculptures, as seen at Yamaguchi Prefecture’s UBE Biennale international sculpture exhibition of 1991. The quest to capture the essence of a bird remains constant.