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"By merging bamboo weaving with lacquer art, Huang Li-shu is the first in Taiwan to do so. A disciple of the late lacquer master Chen Huo-qing, she can effortlessly cite domestic and international anecdotes about lacquer art. Since retirement, her life has been devoted entirely to promoting the craft: > “Creation is personal expression, a dream; resonating with viewers is crucial. Sharing the joy of lacquer art’s beauty is more meaningful than creating alone.” ### Crossing Disciplines, Exploring Alone Huang’s entry into the splendid world of lacquer was never deliberate. Initially, she taught two-dimensional art at Zhushan Senior High in Nantou County and knew nothing about bamboo weaving. Two months before the school launched a bamboo-weaving course, she scrambled to learn from a master, also apprenticing herself to renowned bamboo-weaver Huang Tu-shan. Later, she joined the National Taiwan Craft Research Institute, working in product development and designing bamboo items. Yet bamboo’s high moisture content invites mold and short lifespan. Twenty-plus years ago, Huang pondered how to add value. Noticing Japanese ikebana’s use of jet-black bamboo baskets as vases coated with natural raw lacquer, she bought some and experimented. With no precedent, she explored alone until she blazed a trail marrying bamboo weaving with lacquer. ### Bound to Lacquer, Filled with Mission Perhaps destined for lacquer—many are allergic to raw lacquer, yet she remains unaffected and fell in love with it. After feeding her family dinner, she would return to the institute’s workshop. “Now lacquer art is inseparable from life.” In the studio’s floor display, one exquisite piece after another are her treasures. Practical lacquer clogs, round plates, and wooden bowls testify to her wish to bring lacquer into everyday homes. Lacquerware remains niche in Taiwan; while creating, Huang feels a mission. She teaches at Yunlin University of Science & Tech’s Cultural Heritage Department and the National Center for Traditional Arts, Yilan, and promotes lacquer in communities, letting people experience lacquerware and traditional beauty through hands-on work. ### Teaching & Research, Pure Joy She volunteers to teach community mothers in Nantou’s Life-Rebuilding Association. After Typhoon Morakot, the century-old Nuomi Bridge in Guoxing Township became a national landmark; the mothers paint it on lacquer plates. > “Teachers and students enjoy every class; one mom plans several plates as dowries for her daughters.” A batch of Edo-period maki-e lacquerware left by the Japanese governor-general’s office needs study. Commissioned by the heritage center, Huang and her students have spent over a year recording each piece’s techniques, features, and provenance. Though busy, she is happy. (Text & images courtesy of National Taiwan Craft Research Institute)