Dialogue - Jiro Nagase [Part 1] -

History as a material

"I like the lumpiness of aluminum," says Jiro. The bookends are eye-catching, with their irregular appearance that cannot be achieved with industrial products, like the jagged edges of a power tool saw blade.
Aluminum as a material has a short history.

Iron has been used since about 5,000 years ago, and copper has an even longer history, with processed copper having been excavated from ruins. These two metals have since been used in a variety of things, including weapons, agricultural equipment, and industrial products, and have progressed alongside civilization.

On the other hand, although aluminum is a practical metal like iron and copper, it was only around 130 years ago that a method for extracting it from ore was established.

After studying metalwork at an art university, why did Jiro choose aluminum as a material when he decided to become an independent artist?

"The reason I chose aluminum is simply because I like its color and texture. I'm also attracted to its untapped potential as a material. With iron, copper, or silver, no matter how much of a technique or processing method you come up with, there's always someone else who's done it before, because of their long history. Aluminum still has a short history, and now it's mostly used industrially, so I feel like its history as a handicraft material is missing, and I think there is still room to explore in that area as a material."

Ever since he was a child, Jiro has loved making things with his hands, and so he enrolled in the Department of Crafts at Tama Art University. In his first year at university, he gained some experience working with materials such as metal, pottery, and glass. He eventually went on to major in metal, learning the basics of metal craft techniques and technology. After graduating from graduate school, he worked for the art unit Maywa Denki, and in 2019 he went independent and began his career as an artist in earnest.

Homemade fire starter

Our insatiable desire to explore new areas of manufacturing is what drives us to take on new challenges.

This sentiment is also apparent in the works on display at the "Jiro Nagase Exhibition," which opens on Saturday, July 24. One of these is an aluminum fire starter made especially for this exhibition.

Jiro is an otaku with a penchant for taking apart the structures and mechanisms of things and reconstructing them.

"I'm interested in principles and mechanisms, and I enjoy creating structures myself. When I was in junior high school, I once made something similar to a Japanese sword by hammering a nail. I pounded a five-inch nail on a stone with a hammer and sharpened it on a whetstone until it was shaped like a really small sword. I then used that tiny sword to cut paper. When I did that, I had the same feeling of having created something with function, and it was really moving.

In the same way, when I make something that makes a sound, I first take apart a harmonica and make the reed mechanism inside it myself, and when I blow into it and it makes a sound, I feel the joy of making something. The fire starter in this project already exists as a concept, but when I make it, I really want to try to take a different approach than other people, if possible. I hope that it will be easy to use as a tool, and that people will enjoy it for its presence."
The exhibition will feature a special summer vacation event at the Learning Space called "Demonstration and experience of Nagase Jiro's new "fire starter" - baking potatoes in foil over a midsummer bonfire." This is the only place where you can try out the fire starter that Jiro has prepared.

What do you feel in that space?

Jiro-san visits Utsushiki for a meeting before the exhibition, measures the size of the space, and uses CAD software to think about the spatial composition of the exhibition. He sees computers and metalworking as a means to create things with a neutral perspective.
In today's society, where online shopping is becoming the norm, Jiro is taking on new challenges in this exhibition.

"Buying and viewing things online is now more common than it was in the past, and I think there are many good aspects to it. That's why holding an exhibition and having people come to the venue and make a purchase is such a special thing. By using the world view of Utsushiki, I hope to make people feel glad that they visited the exhibition venue, not only through the way each individual piece appears, but through the entire work and the space."

Some people are resonating with Jiro's first exhibition at Utsushiki. Comptoir Coin is a counter bar that opened in Kuramae, Tokyo in September 2015, where you can enjoy genre-less Western cuisine and natural wines, created by owner Yusuke Marui, who has experience training in a variety of Japanese and Western genres. On July 24th (Sat) and 25th (Sun), from 12pm, you can enjoy an eight-course meal in the cafe, all presented in Jiro Nagase's aluminum artworks. Be sure to enjoy it with some delicious organic wine.

Also on display at Comptoir Coin are Jiro's plates, which have aged over time after being put through the dishwasher by Marui, the owner of the restaurant.