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Developed through fieldwork by Miao Tan and Vincent Cazeneuve in Chengkou, Chongqing, this publication documents the process of natural lacquer harvesting, from preparing tools and entering the mountains to climbing, cutting, and collecting the first sap. It reveals the embodied knowledge, physical labour, and ecological conditions behind the material.
The social structures and historical–cultural systems that lacquer carries make it impossible to avoid questions of origin, lineage, and geography. In today’s society, where traditional culture has been institutionalised through state mechanisms, media narratives, and public perception, issues such as whether you were taught by an officially recognised heritage bearer, whether you come from a region known …
In traditional views of art, materials were often considered lifeless until the artist gave them form and meaning. This perspective emphasises the dominant position of the artist, seeing the artist’s intention and skill as the decisive force, while the material merely submits passively. Michelangelo, for example, believed that sculpture already existed inside the marble, and the artist’s role was simply to release it …
Natural lacquer is a resinous sap secreted by lacquer trees, classified as a renewable natural resource. Similar to natural rubber, lacquer plays an essential role in both nature and human life due to its unique physical and chemical properties. Globally, trees capable of producing lacquer sap are primarily found in parts of Asia, North America and Central America, with China being one of the major native regions …
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