T S U Y O S H I U E D A
Metal coloring techniques use chemicals and heat to chemically change the surface of metal, bringing out the inherent properties of the material to the surface, and thus obtaining various colors and textures. Simply put, they rust the metal to produce the color. For example, in the case of copper, the main component of the verdigris of rust is the same as that of copper minerals such as malachite, which is the raw material of copper. In other words, when a metal rusts, it is the surface trying to return to its mineral state. Shiny polished metal is a very artificial and unstable state, and it is always trying to rust and return to its mineral, or natural, state. Metal coloring techniques do this intentionally, and by mineralizing the surface, they bring out various colors.
I am interested in the turning point when ancient humans discovered metals and began to freely use it as a tool in daily life. I imagine the surprise and awe that humans felt at that time toward this material. I search within myself today for the sense of nature that existed before humans recognized metal as a "convenient material that can be used." By extracting metals from minerals as artificial materials and using techniques to return them to their mineral state, I hope to embody the primitive sensations that arise within me in my works.