I have been passionate about Asian arts from a very young age. After obtaining my baccalauréat in Applied Arts, I spent three years studying art history and archaeology at the University of Nantes.

I then joined the Lacquer section of the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d'Art (Olivier de Serres) under the tutelage of Isabelle Emmerique, Martine Rey, and Thibauld Mazire. In 2012, after earning my Diplôme des Métiers d’Art (DMA) with honors, I wanted to specialize in Plant-Based Lacquer (Urushi).

I participated in a research program at the Plant-Based Lacquer (Urushi 漆) workshop at Kyoto University of the Arts (京都市立芸術大学). For two years, I learned and honed this ancestral Japanese craftsmanship under the guidance of Sasai Fumie and Kurimoto Natsuki.

In 2017, after returning to Paris, I founded my own workshop, HB.Laque, where I practice plant-based lacquer (Urushi 漆) and develop a subtle balance between Japan and France, the past and the present, through my creations.

I also collaborate with many artists, craftsmen, decorators, and restorers, exploring the ecological, technical, and aesthetic qualities of plant-based lacquer.

I share my expertise with students from various schools, including ENSAAMA (Olivier de Serres), as well as within my own workshop in the heart of Saint Ouen sur Seine, during courses and workshops.

Blandine Hamon

VEGETABLE LACQUER - 漆

The craft of vegetable lacquer, with its meticulous requirements, its myriad possibilities for experimentation, its natural origin, its ecological practice, and its relationship to time, embodies the core values of my workshop.

Natural

Vegetable lacquer is derived from the sap of the lacquer tree, primarily grown in Asia and cultivated for millennia.

Ecological

As a natural material, it requires no additional substances. Its use generates minimal waste.

Useful

Lacquering an object protects and waterproofs it, making it resistant to substances like alcohol and vinegar. It becomes leach-proof and safe for food storage. The lacquer can be applied in successive layers to various surfaces, including wood, metal, ceramic, fabric, plastic, and paper.

Polymerized

Vegetable lacquer is a highly durable material that hardens through polymerization, thanks to the combination of heat and humidity. For this process, humid cabinets known as -muro- are used, allowing for controlled and slow drying conditions.