Explanatory video shows artist Terumasa Ikeda's raden technique, inlaying laser-cut iridescent abalone shell pieces into wood to form shimmering patterns.
Terumasa Ikeda’s works are a fascinating display of centuries of craft tradition fused with an almost uncanny futuristic sensibility. His works are a modern application of Japan’s “raden,” craft, wherein iridescent shells or mother-of-pearl materials are prepared in fine layers and inlaid on wood and lacquer.
These photos and videos are from my visit to the Tokyo Gendai 2026 exhibition, where seeing Ikeda-san’s works in person was at the top of my list.
The works shimmer as you move around them, and invite you to look closer with their peeks of bright color from the abalone shell. They are entrancing in person.
I gathered with a fellow group of exhibition visitors to watch the explanatory video included here, courtesy of the gallery staff at the booth. Gasps from the fellow viewers echoed my own surprise; we all were clearly astonished to see the meticulous process of creating these pieces. A woman remarked in awe, “時代のものですね,” “it’s something of this age, isn’t it?” It certainly is ✨
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Terumasa Ikeda: @terumasaikeda
Artist’s gallery: @ippodogallerytokyo
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Look closely at this work, and you'll notice that the surface is composed of thousands of tiny numbers. But they're not written or printed. The technique you see here is an evolution of Japan's traditional craft, Naden, where extremely fine thin pieces of luminescent shell are inlaid in wood to create shimmering patterns. These works by Terumasa Ikeda represent the fusion of this traditional craft with the capabilities of modern technology. Ikeda San lays out iridescent abalone shell and uses a laser cutter to produce thousands of tiny pieces, which he then applies one by one to create his works. The result is something that looks like a relic from the future.
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